Hallworth Stuns Brecel On Day 2 Of Wuhan Open Qualifiers

Snooker

18 June 2026

Hallworth Stuns Brecel On Day 2 Of Wuhan Open Qualifiers

Day 2 of the Wuhan Open qualifiers delivered another thrilling day of action in Leicester, with Steven Hallworth producing the headline result after defeating former World Champion Luca Brecel in emphatic fashion.

There were also impressive wins for Aaron Hill and Yao Pengcheng as both players maintained their unbeaten starts to the new season, while Anton Kazakov edged Marco Fu in a dramatic final-frame decider.

Hallworth Downs Former World Champion

Steven Hallworth produced one of the standout performances of the tournament so far, defeating Luca Brecel 5-1 to book his place in the final qualifying round.

World number 92 Hallworth showed no signs of nerves against the 2023 World Champion, winning the final four frames to seal an impressive victory.

The Englishman will now face Zhang Anda on Thursday morning, with a place in Wuhan at stake.

Hill Remains Perfect

Ireland’s Aaron Hill continued his excellent start to the campaign with a dominant 5-0 victory over China’s Luo Zetao.

Hill was in heavy-scoring form throughout, compiling superb breaks of 122 and 102 as he maintained his unbeaten record in Leicester.

Yao Continues Winning Run

China’s Yao Pengcheng kept his perfect start to the season intact with a convincing 5-2 win over Thailand’s Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon.

Fresh from qualifying for last week’s China Open, Yao once again showcased his break-building ability, producing a top run of 106 on his way to victory.

Kazakov Holds Nerve In Thriller

One of the closest matches of the day saw Ukraine’s Anton Kazakov edge past Marco Fu 5-4.

The contest went all the way to the final black, with Kazakov holding his nerve to secure a memorable victory over the experienced Hong Kong star.

Davies And Wang Continue Their Progress

Liam Davies followed up his opening-day success with another impressive display, defeating Martin O’Donnell 5-1 to continue his excellent run.

China’s Wang Xinbo also maintained his momentum, overcoming Scott Donaldson 5-1 to continue an encouraging start to his rookie professional season.

Big Names Advance

Elsewhere, Jackson Page defeated Gong Chenzhi 5-2, Daniel Wells beat Sahil Nayyar 5-1, and Michael Holt progressed with a comfortable 5-2 victory over Leone Crowley.

Ryan Day, Matthew Selt, Robbie Williams, Ben Woollaston and Florian Nüßle also secured their places in the next round.

Zizins Produces Tournament High Break

Latvia’s Artemijs Zizins produced the highest break of the event so far, compiling a magnificent 145 in the final frame of his 5-2 victory over Reanne Evans.

The stunning clearance capped another entertaining day of qualifying as the race for places in Wuhan continued.

Day 2 Results

Florian Nüßle 5-3 Ricky Walden

Ben Woollaston 5-2 Zhao Hanyang

Matthew Selt 5-1 Andrew Higginson

Liam Davies 5-1 Martin O’Donnell

Robbie Williams 5-1 Liu Wenwei

Ryan Day 5-1 Mitchell Mann

Duane Jones 5-3 Michal Szubarczyk

Aaron Hill 5-0 Luo Zetao

Jordan Brown 5-3 Oliver Lines

Wang Xinbo 5-1 Scott Donaldson