Snooker’s new Evergrande China Championship took place for the first time in 2016, as an invitation event. It was staged in the city of Guangzhou in the Guangdong Province of South East China. John Higgins beat Stuart Bingham 10-7 in the final. This years tournament twill become a world ranking event, contested by all 128 players. The total prize money for the event starting on 16th June will be £700,000 with the winner’s cheque at £150,000.
With the current exceptionally high standard of the professional tour there are not really any shocks as all player’s are capable of putting in performances of real quality with the only difference being that the top player’s find their top game more often then those who are lower ranked. The first morning session provided the first big name casualty of the tournament as the super talented Yan Bingtao swept aside former world champion Stuart Bingham by a 5-3 scoreline. Bingham raced into a 2-0 lead aided by a break of 59, But Yan with plenty big name scalps already under his belt raced back to win the next 3 frames in a row to take a 3-2 lead. Bingham won a 35 minute 6 frame to level the match but it was the young Chinese superstar who held his nerve in the final two frames to wrap up a 5-3 victory and in the process book a last 32 meeting with Stephen Maguire.
Former world champion and recent Hong Kong masters winner Neil Robertson was the second big name casualty of the early session as he fell narrowly to the improving Li hang. Robertson started the better of the two players by winning the opening two frames, But Hang showed that he was not fazed by the powerful start form the former world champion as he roared back with breaks of 57,76 and a nerveless contribution of 46 in the deciding frame to seal a memorable 5-4 victory.World champion and world number 1 Mark Selby started his campaign with a solid but not spectacular 5-1 victory over Chinese wildcard player Luo Honghao. It was only Selby’s second competitive match of the season and for large parts of the match it showed as the world champion made a string of errors and missed more than he usually would! But towards the end of the match Selby finally found his stride as he stroked in breaks of 48,53 and 76 to wrap up victory.
Preston’s Ian Burns put in a solid performance as he swept aside the reigning English open champion and home favourite Liang Wenbo by a 5-3 scoreline. Burns knocked in breaks of 49,73 and 78 to book his place in the last 64 of China’s Biggest event. Four time world champion John Higgins was in unstoppable form against Lyu Haotian as he powered in breaks of 62,63,69,72 and 129 as he attempts to defend his China championship trophy. In that form the reigning champion will take some stopping for sure. Chinese number 1 and home favourite Ding Junhui strolled to a comfortable victory over wildcard player Niu Zhuang. It was Zhuang that started the better of the two players as he stroked in a classy break of 61 to take the opening frame, But that was as good as it got for the Wildcard player as Ding roared back to win the next 5 frames with breaks of 48,46,49,and 81 to book his place in the last 64 and a meeting with Alfie Burden awaits.
Kurt Maflin won the battle of the frames academy stable mates as he swept aside Michael Georgiou in a low quality match. Both player’s seemed to struggle with a string of missed opportunities but it was the former world amateur champion Maflin who prevailed by a 5-0 scoreline and bragging rights are firmly with Norway’s number one player.
DAY 1 RESULTS [Wednesday, 16th August]
Round One (*held over match)
3:00 AM
* Andrew Higginson 5-1 Hu Hao
* Daniel Wells 5-2 Ma Chunmao
* Tian Pengfei 5-2 Fan Zhengyi
Anthony McGill 2-5 Mark Joyce
Yan Bingtao 5-3 Stuart Bingham
Peter Ebdon 3-5 Anthony Hamilton
Barry Hawkins 5-2 Oliver Lines
Neil Robertson 4-5 Li Hang
7:30 AM
* Mark Selby 5-1 Luo Honghao
* Liang Wenbo 3-5 Ian Burns
Rory McLeod 1-5 Stephen Maguire
Ken Doherty 4-5 Shaun Murphy
Ben Woollaston 4-5 Mark Davis
Ali Carter 5-4 Aditya Mehta
Ian Preece 4-5 David Grace
12:30 PM
*Ding Junhui 5-1 Niu Zhuang
*John Higgins 5-0 Lyu Haotian
Kurt Maflin 5-0 Michael Georgiou
Graeme Dott 5-3 Robert Milkins
Mike Dunn 5-1 Joe Perry
China Championship odds available at Dafabet.