O’Sullivan wins in China but world champion Brecel out

BEIJING (Agencies): Ronnie O’Sullivan moved into the last 16 at the World Open in China, but there was a shock as reigning world champion Luca Brecel was knocked out. England’s O’Sullivan was never behind on his way to a 5-2 win against China’s Lyu Haotian in the third-round match.

Belgium’s Brecel, who defends the World Championship in Sheffield next month, lost 5-1 to Scotland’s Stephen Maguire. Former world champions Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson joined O’Sullivan in the fourth round. Trump, who is leading the tour’s seasonal rankings, won 5-3 against China’s Fan Zhengyi, while Selby and Robertson earned 5-2 victories against Long Zehuang and Yuan Sijun respectively.

Welsh pair Daniel Wells and Jackson Page, who knocked out top-10 stars Mark Allen and John Higgins in the previous round, backed up those notable wins as each beat Chinese opponents. Wells won 5-3 against He Guoqiang, with Page beating Wu Yize by the same scoreline.

However, world number eight Ali Carter was another big-name exit on Wednesday. He lost 5-1 to fellow Englishman Chris Wakelin. The fourth-round matches of the Yushan event, which has returned this year after a three-year hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic, take place on Thursday.