Stevens Keeps The Momentum Rolling On Day 3

Snooker

15 June 2026

Stevens Keeps The Momentum Rolling On Day 3

The third day of the China Open qualifiers saw experience and youth combine to produce another entertaining day of action at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.

Former UK Championship and Masters winner Matthew Stevens led the headlines as he made a winning start to his 33rd season as a professional, while Hammad Miah continued his impressive early-season form and several emerging talents produced eye-catching performances.

Stevens Begins Season 33 In Style

Matthew Stevens rolled back the years once again as he opened his campaign with a comfortable 6-2 victory over China’s Deng Haohui.

The Welshman, who captured both the UK Championship and Masters titles during his distinguished career, produced breaks of 73 and 86 in an assured display to progress.

Stevens is looking to build on the momentum gained last season after qualifying for the Crucible at the 2026 World Snooker Championship. The 48-year-old proved he still has plenty to offer at the highest level during that memorable run, and Day 3 suggested he remains as competitive as ever.

Miah Continues Winning Start

Hammad Miah maintained his perfect start to the new season with a 6-4 victory over Robbie Williams in the second qualifying round.

The Englishman has spoken openly about how a more settled life away from the table is helping him focus on his snooker, and he backed up those sentiments with another composed performance.

Miah’s confidence appears to be growing with every match, and he will be hoping this early form can translate into a breakthrough campaign.

Long Produces Break of the Day

China’s Long Zehuang produced the highest break of the day as he defeated Robert Milkins 6-3.

Long compiled a magnificent 134 clearance to underline his scoring power and cap off an impressive victory against the experienced Englishman.

Boiko Finishes Strong

Ukraine’s Iulian Boiko was another player to catch the eye, closing out his 6-1 victory over Zhang Yang with an excellent break of 91.

Still one of the game’s brightest young prospects, Boiko looked sharp throughout the contest as he continued his progress through qualifying.

Hallworth Storms To Whitewash

Steven Hallworth delivered one of the standout performances of the day, recording a 6-0 whitewash victory over Huang Jiahao.

Hallworth produced a brilliant break of 130 during a dominant display that left his opponent with little opportunity to settle into the match.

Jiang Shows His Scoring Power

China’s Jiang Jun also enjoyed an excellent afternoon, defeating Canada’s Sahil Nayyar 6-1 with a barrage of heavy breaks.

Jiang compiled runs of 89, 85, 114, 55, 50 and 98 in a scintillating scoring display that showcased why he is regarded as one of China’s brightest prospects.

With big breaks, dominant victories and established stars continuing to shine, Day 3 provided another compelling chapter in the race to qualify for the China Open.

Day 3 Results

Zhang Anda 6-2 Ross Muir

Hossein Vafaei 6-3 Marco Fu

Liam Highfield 6-1 Stephen Maguire

Tom Ford 6-3 Lyu Haotian

Xu Yichen 6-4 Zhao Hanyang

Fan Zhengyi 6-4 Peter Lines

Hammad Miah 6-4 Robbie Williams

Matthew Stevens 6-2 Deng Haohui

Jordan Brown 6-1 Daniel Womersley

Jiang Jun 6-1 Sahil Nayyar

Dylan Emery 6-1 Duane Jones