Kyren Wilson downs 'greatest of all time' Ronnie O'Sullivan to set up blockbuster Shanghai Masters semi-final clash with Zhao Xintong
By Rhys Jones
Updated 31/07/2025 at 17:42 GMT+1
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World No. 2 Kyren Wilson and current world champion Zhao Xintong each beat legendary competition to set up an enticing semi-final at the Shanghai Masters. Wilson beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-3, not long after Zhao wrapped up his dominant 6-1 win over iconic Chinese player Ding Junhui. The reigning world champion will take on former world champion in Shanghai on Saturday.
Wilson delighted to overcome ‘greatest of all-time’ O’Sullivan in ‘box-office’ win
Video credit: TNT Sports
Kyren Wilson is looking forward to his semi-final showdown with world champion Zhao Xintong after beating "greatest of all time" Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Shanghai Masters.
Wilson triumphed 6-3 over O'Sullivan on one table while Zhao overwhelmingly beat Ding Junhui 6-1 on the other, creating a spectacle for those in attendance as they witnessed four of the sport's best in action.
"It feels like this is almost like the showpiece Chinese event nowadays, kind of similar to the London Masters, and you've got the best players in the world here," Wilson said after his quarter-final win.
"It certainly inspires you. And when you go out to a packed-out audience, it felt like it was box office on both tables.
"You've got the two highest-ranked and probably most popular Chinese players on one table. And the greatest of all time against an in-form player. So yeah, definitely gave the crowd lots of value for money tonight."
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Wilson made breaks of 111 and 109, alongside five breaks over 50 in his nine frames with O'Sullivan as 'The Rocket' struggled to keep pace with the 33-year-old.
"It's always nice to win playing in a good style," Wilson added. "And obviously I scored very heavily. I think at 2-2 it could have been kind of 4-0 to either player. It went really close.
"Every time I got sort of 70 in front, Ronnie sort of roared back at me, needing snookers and fought very hard and got them. It was just about going to the practice room, resetting, trying to hit a few balls and come out firing and obviously managed to do that."
After O'Sullivan won the sixth frame to level the score at 3-3, Wilson won three straight frames as the seven-time world champion failed to make a break over 60.
Before Wilson could run away with the match, Zhao had wrapped up his tie with compatriot Ding, hitting three centuries in seven frames.
Zhao beat Mark Williams in the final of the World Championship earlier this year to become the first Chinese player to win the title.
It is an enticing match-up between the current world champion and the 2024 winner Wilson, and the pair last faced each other in 2021.
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No laughing matter as miscue costs Wilson dearly against O'Sullivan
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Really looking forward to it," Wilson said. "Obviously, the two most recent world champions, and you know, there's definitely been a boom in China with the excitement and expectation now that's on Zhao Xintong's shoulders.
"I'm sure he'll handle being world champion very, very well. It's something that I really enjoyed last year.
"Yeah, looking forward to playing in front of what hopefully is going to be a packed out crowd."
Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Shanghai Masters, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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