The 2024 Wuhan Open has four contenders left vying glory with the semi-finals on Friday’s schedule at the China Optics Valley Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Three of the four semi-finalists come from host nation China, marking only the second time in the sport’s history that situation has transpired in a ranking event.
The trio of home hopefuls will be up against it, though, as the other player left fighting for the title is the game’s world number one.
Let’s take a look at both semi-final matches in the 2024 Wuhan Open.
Judd Trump vs Si Jiahui
In a repeat of the German Masters final from the start of this year, Judd Trump encounters Si Jiahui in a mouthwatering affair.
Trump was nowhere near his best during his quarter-final outing on Thursday but managed to outlast Chris Wakelin by the narrowest of 5-4 margins.
Si, meanwhile, beat Zhang Anda for the first time in his career to seal a second semi-final spot of the 2024/25 snooker season so far.
The 22 year-old is quickly establishing himself as one of the top players, with consistency now beginning to match the prodigious talent he already possesses.
Overcoming Trump at this stage of a tournament would represent another stepping stone towards reaching the highest echelons of the game.
While the defending Wuhan Open champion may not be producing his highest standard this week, Trump’s ability to get the job done time and time again is quite remarkable.
The 35 year-old has added a steel to his arsenal over the last few years that accompanies an already fierce attacking game when in prime form.
Trump, way out in front as the world number one following his victory in Saudi Arabia this term, has been a relentless winner of tournaments over the last 12-month period.
Indeed, if he were to win the 2024 Wuhan Open, it would represent his eighth piece of silverware since the first week of October in 2023.
Si has lost all six of his prior meetings against Trump, and one suspects that he might have to come up with something special to break that miserable streak here.
Long Zehuang vs Xiao Guodong
Terrific displays this week from both Long Zehuang and Xiao Guodong have opened up the possibility for one of them to capture a ranking title for the first time.
Long, who is from Wuhan, continued his fine progress in his home event with a 5-1 defeat of Jack Lisowski in the quarter-finals.
The latter had promised so much with a flurry of break-building demonstrations to win his earlier ties, but once again another tournament for the Englishman ends in disappointment.
For 27 year-old Long, who only turned professional for the first time in 2023, the £30,000 semi-final cheque has rocketed him up the provisional end-of-season rankings and well inside the top 64.
Xiao’s run in the tournament has been arguably even more impressive considering the opposition he has had to dispose of.
The 35 year-old, twice a ranking event runner-up, followed up his tense 5-4 victory over world champion Kyren Wilson with resounding triumphs against Barry Hawkins and Shaun Murphy.
Against the latter, Xiao began the last-eight bout with breaks of 139, 113, 125, and 75 before eventually completing a resounding 5-1 win.
That kind of form, coupled with his greater experience at this stage of a competition overall compared to Long, must put Xiao as the favourite to reach Saturday’s final.
The two Chinese competitors have never faced each other in a professional match, so it’ll be new territory for both on that front.
2024 Wuhan Open schedule
Semi-finals (bo11)
7am UTC+1
Long Zehuang vs Xiao Guodong
12:30pm UTC+1
Judd Trump vs Si Jiahui
Click here to view the full 2024 Wuhan Open draw
(snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WST
