Snooker: Gilbert upsets reigning world champion at the China Open

David Gilbert continued his strong form at snooker's China Open 2026 in the early UK morning. Peaking at the World Championship semi-finals in 2019 and 2024, the Englishman now took down Wu Yize in convincing 6-2 fashion to continue into the tournament's quarter-finals.

Ranked only 32nd in the world, Gilbert's solid potting prowess proved the crucial aspect of this win today. The first frame set the tone, with the "Angry Farmer" coming back from 5-47 down to take the frame with a 56-point clearance.

His strong break-building continued throughout, bringing breaks such as 132, 54, 122 and 89 to seal a memorable win.

- I beat China's legend Ding and now world champion Wu. They're nice names to add to your resume. Hopefully I'll manage to build upon this. I'm just trying to enjoy playing again, Gilbert told WST.

The 45-year old has discovered a new-found passion for snooker after opening a new snooker club in Tamworth that serves as his practice location. In just the first ranking tournament of the year (Champions League), Gilbert went all the way to the final.

He's now won four matches in a row at the China Open, dismantling Ding Junhui 6-1 in the last round. In the next round he'll face another in-form player, as he's up against China's Zhou Yuelong. Zhou defeated Liu Hongyu 6-4 in a match that saw him pot four century breaks.

Snooker's China Open continues on Thursday with Ronnie O'Sullivan's and Noppon Saengkham's duel, while the other match of the evening session is between Shaun Murphy and Xiao Guodong.

You can find all the tournament's results and future matches below.













Source: WST