Oliver Lines Shocks World Number One Zhao Xintong at English Open

Oliver Lines ripped up the script in Brentwood, dumping world number one Zhao Xintong out of the English Open with a fearless 4-2 victory in the first round.

Zhao, the 2025 world champion and heavy favourite on paper, produced the kind of scoring that usually kills a match. He rolled in two century breaks and had the contest locked at 2-2 after four frames. At that stage, most opponents fold. Lines didn’t.

The 31-year-old from England dug in, then stepped up. He pieced together a composed 77 to edge in front, then followed it with a clinical 84 to close out the upset and book his place in the last 32, where he will face Yuan Sijun.

"You know you have to raise your game," Lines said afterwards, fully aware of the scale of the task he had just passed. "You try not to think about it, but you know if you don't play somewhere near your best then you are going home."

This time, Zhao was the one heading for the exit.

Robertson falls, Wilson and Ding advance

Zhao was not the only big name to suffer. World number four Neil Robertson also crashed out, edged 4-3 by China’s Luo Zetao in another early jolt to the tournament’s hierarchy.

Kyren Wilson, though, imposed himself with authority. The former world champion brushed aside Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski 4-1, a solid, businesslike start to his campaign.

Ding Junhui was pushed much harder. The three-time UK Championship winner from China needed all seven frames to shake off Michael Holt, eventually squeezing through 4-3.

On a day of shocks and statements, it was Lines’ win over the world number one that echoed loudest. Now comes the real question: can he turn one stunning scalp into a deep run?