Maguire Beats World Champion Zhao At Wuhan Open

Stephen Maguire booked his spot successful nan past 16 of nan Wuhan Open pinch a tense 5-4 triumph complete location favourite Zhao Xintong.

The 44-year-old Scot put together breaks of 58, 71, 92 and 119 to unit a deciding framework against nan world champion from China.

Zhao was connected people to advancement erstwhile he potted framework ball, only to cannon nan brownish into nan pocket, which kept nan title alive.

Maguire, who won his first ranking arena for 5 years past month, sunk a mates of agelong pots arsenic he cleared nan array pinch a break of 45, sealing a 65-61 triumph connected nan black.

"I was getting myself up for if I sewage a chance, reasoning 'please clear up'. Thankfully I managed to do it," Maguire told World Snooker.

"The crowd was evidently for him. He has a batch to carry, though. Pressure-wise he is carrying a full country."

Defending champion Xiao Guodong progressed pinch a 5-3 triumph complete David Grace and will look different Englishman, Matthew Selt, aft he cruised done pinch a 5-1 triumph complete Hong Kong's Marco Fu.

Welshman Mark Williams was different comfortable victor arsenic he made breaks of 129 and 95 en en way to a 5-1 occurrence complete Joe O'Connor.

Williams will look chap erstwhile world champion Mark Selby pursuing his 5-2 dismissal of David Gilbert.

World number 1 Judd Trump secured his spot pinch a 5-3 triumph complete chap Englishman Jack Lisowski.

Elsewhere, Gary Wilson, Stan Moody, Barry Hawkins, John Higgins, Tom Ford, Zhang Anda, Aaron Hill, Mark Allen and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh each made it through.