Nanchang (China), March 18 (IANS) Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, and Zhao Xintong all advanced to the last 16 of the World Snooker Open in Yushan, south China’s Jiangxi Province, on Wednesday with comfortable victories.

Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan won five straight frames to beat fellow Englishman Matthew Selt 5-0. In the second frame, he compiled a superb 138 break in just nine minutes to take the frame.

“I’m going to win the whole match,” O’Sullivan said in his post-match interview. “I’ve felt in good form over the first two matches, and I’ll keep this form going and try to keep winning.”

World No. 1 Judd Trump also delivered a strong display, beating Welshman Jackson Page 5-2, reports Xinhua.

Reigning world champion Zhao Xintong of China opened with a century break of 100 before going on to seal a 5-1 win over England’s Sam Craigie.

In the day’s other matches involving former world champions, Shaun Murphy beat Xu Si 5-1, Stuart Bingham edged Wu Yize 5-4, Kyren Wilson thrashed Allan Taylor 5-1, and Mark Williams lost 5-2 to Hossein Vafaei.

Defending champion Higgins crashes out

Earlier on Tuesday, defending champion John Higgins suffered a shock first-round exit from the event. The four-time world champion was edged 5-4 by Britain’s 19-year-old Stan Moody, who reached the quarterfinals of this season’s Wuhan Open after back-to-back wins over established names including Ding Junhui and Zhou Yuelong.

Moody, ranked 47th in the world, seized control early with his accurate long-potting and solid cueing, racing to a 4-1 lead after the first five frames to move within one frame of victory.

Higgins adjusted his rhythm in the sixth frame and made the most of his chances at the table, reeling off the next three frames in a row. That run included a superb 135 break in the seventh frame, and he eventually levelled the match at 4-4 to force a decider.

In the final frame, Moody capitalised on a critical Higgins error and compiled a match-winning 65 break, taking the frame 65-15 to book his place in the last 32.

World No. 1 Trump of Britain defeated Austria’s Florian Nuessle 5-1 in the afternoon session. Highly watched Chinese prospect Zhao Xintong defeated Long Zehuang 5-4 in the evening session to advance to the last 32.

–IANS

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