China Open Qualifiers: Final Round Set to Confirm Last Spots as Lisowski, Brecel and Near-Perfect Xu Si Eye Main Draw
Sunday's Fourth Round to Complete the Qualifying Picture in Leicester
The 2026 China Open qualifiers reach their conclusion at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester on Sunday, with the fourth and final round of the preliminary competition set to determine which players will join the world's top 16 — all of whom received direct seedings into the main draw — in Taiyuan when the tournament gets under way on 8th August.
The China Open returns to the snooker calendar for the first time since 2019, making Sunday's deciders all the more significant for the field of hopefuls still standing after three rounds of qualifying action.
Lisowski and Chang Bingyu Headline the Afternoon Session
The standout fixture of the day arrives in the 16:00 BST session, where world number 17 Jack Lisowski — the highest-ranked player in the qualifying draw — meets Chang Bingyu. Both players came through Saturday's third round with identical 6-4 victories, Lisowski defeating Xu Yichen and Chang seeing off the experienced Matthew Stevens. Chang has established herself as one of the most compelling talents in the game at present, and a place in their home nation's flagship ranking event adds considerable weight to what promises to be a highly competitive encounter.
Former World Champions Renew Rivalry
Also on Sunday's card is a meeting between two former world champions in Stuart Bingham and Luca Brecel. Bingham, the 2015 world champion, came through his third-round tie 6-4 against Ian Burns, while Belgian Brecel — who lifted the Betfred World Championship trophy in 2023 — edged Jamie Clarke 6-5 in a tight penultimate-round contest.
For Brecel in particular, getting the new season off to a winning start carries additional importance. Questions over his consistency since his Sheffield triumph have not entirely dissipated, and a run to the China Open main draw would represent a statement of intent heading into the campaign. Bingham, by contrast, has remained a reliable presence on the circuit and will be quietly confident of progressing.
Amateur Chen Ruifu's Remarkable Run
One of the more remarkable stories of the qualifying week belongs to Chen Ruifu, the only player in the 144-strong opening field to have reached the fourth round from the very first hurdle. An invited amateur, Chen was denied a professional tour card by Liu Yang at the Asia-Oceania Q School in May, yet has responded with a composed sequence of wins over Panchaya Channoi, Scott Donaldson, and Zak Surety.
Sunday brings an all-Chinese final-round clash, with Chen facing Zhou Yuelong for a place in a tournament held in their home country. Whatever the outcome, Chen's progress through four rounds of a ranking event qualifier represents a notable achievement for an amateur competing against established professionals.
Xu Si Agonisingly Close to 147
The most talked-about moment of Saturday's action involved Xu Si, who came within a single shot of joining snooker's most exclusive club. The 28-year-old was on course for a maximum 147 break before missing a tricky cut-back on the final black — a miss that will undoubtedly occupy his thoughts for some time. Xu did, however, win his match 6-1 and sets up a fourth-round meeting with David Gilbert on Sunday. Perfect maximum breaks remain one of the rarest achievements in the sport, and Xu's near-miss serves as a reminder of how fine the margins are at the highest level.
Full Fourth-Round Draw
Sunday 10:00 BST
- Stuart Bingham vs Luca Brecel
- Hossein Vafaei vs David Lilley
- Tom Ford vs Liam Highfield
- Daniel Wells vs Zhang Anda
- Elliot Slessor vs Noppon Saengkham
- Yuan Sijun vs Jackson Page
- Anthony McGill vs Joe O'Connor
- Matthew Selt vs Ali Carter
Sunday 16:00 BST
- Jack Lisowski vs Chang Bingyu
- Jiang Jun vs Jimmy White
- Xu Si vs David Gilbert
- Chen Ruifu vs Zhou Yuelong
- Gary Wilson also features among the afternoon session's contenders
All fourth-round matches are played as best-of-11 frames. The China Open main event runs from 8th–16th August in Taiyuan. Draw and schedule data via snooker.org.
