November 6th 2024.
Judd Trump's performance on the snooker table this year has been nothing short of remarkable. The world number one has consistently made it to the quarter-finals in all 15 events he has participated in, until now. Unfortunately, his streak has come to an end at the International Championship in Nanjing, where he was defeated by Xu Si in the last 16.
Xu, a 26-year-old from China, put on an impressive display and secured his spot in only his third ever ranking quarter-final. He was unfazed by Trump's below-par performance and showed his skills with breaks of 104, 76, 76, 69, and 65. This victory will also see Xu's ranking improve, as he came into the tournament ranked at number 49 in the world.
Xu has already shown his form earlier this season, with a quarter-final run at the Xi'an Grand Prix in August. He defeated top players like Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham, and even made a 147 in his previous round win over Ryan Day. Xu's next opponent in the quarter-final on Thursday will either be Mark Selby or Gary Wilson, and it will certainly not be an easy match for him.
Joining Xu in the quarter-finals are Chris Wakelin and Jackson Page, who both had impressive wins on Wednesday. Wakelin took down three-time world champion Mark Williams, while Page beat Pang Junxu, who had previously defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan. Page will now face either Jack Lisowski or Xiao Guodong, while Wakelin will take on John Higgins or Lyu Haotian.
Looking back at Trump's performance this year, it has been nothing short of immense. He has won the German Masters, Shanghai Masters, and the Saudi Arabia Masters, and has reached the final of the World Grand Prix. He also made it to the quarter-finals of the Masters, Players Championship, and the World Championship, among others. However, his latest loss at the International Championship has put an end to his unbeatable streak.
There is still one spot left to be filled at the upcoming Champion of Champions event, and it will be claimed by the winner in Nanjing if they have not already qualified. Xu, Wakelin, and Page are all fighting for this last spot, making the remaining matches in Nanjing even more intense.
The remaining last 16 ties in Nanjing are between Jack Lisowski and Xiao Guodong, Gary Wilson and Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins, and Ding Junhui and Jiang Jun. It will be interesting to see who will come out on top and secure a spot in the quarter-finals. The competition is fierce, and it is anyone's game.
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