Defending champion Judd Trump faced an unexpected quarter-final exit at the English Open, losing 5-3 to China’s Wu Yize. Wu, ranked 40th in the world, got off to a strong start with a break of 108 in the opening frame.

Despite briefly falling behind 2-1 to England’s top-ranked Trump, Wu managed to turn the match around, winning four of the next five frames. This victory secured Wu’s spot in the semi-finals, making him the first player to do so at the Brentwood event.

For Trump, this loss delays his quest to reach a historic milestone of 1,000 career centuries. With 998 to his name, he remains just two short of joining the elite group that includes snooker legends Ronnie O’Sullivan, who achieved the feat in 2019, and John Higgins, who reached it earlier this week.

In other quarter-final action, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen faced off against Englishman Chris Wakelin, with their match beginning shortly after Wu’s win. Later in the evening, England’s Mark Selby was set to take on India’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha, while Australian Neil Robertson was scheduled to meet England’s Barry Hawkins in a clash of left-handers.

The competition at Brentwood promised more excitement as the tournament neared its conclusion.