English Open results: Ronnie O'Sullivan eases into last 16; Judd Trump out

Trump ousted by Walker

Lee Walker had only won one match all season prior to the English Open, but he's now through to the last 16 at Judd Trump's expense after beating the world champion 4-2.

Walker started in the best possible fashion, keeping his opponent from scoring a single point as he raced into a 2-0 lead with breaks of 74 and 67, but back-to-back centuries from Trump - including a sumptuous 135 - appeared to end all hope of an upset.

The Welshman was cueing well, however, and after taking his third chance to win frame five, produced a brave half-century to move within touching distance of one of his most significant wins since reaching the World Championship quarter-finals way back in 1997.

Trump returned to the table needing snookers and, with a little luck and a careless miss from Walker, got to 22 points behind with 22 remaining, but Walker again held his nerve to stroke in a brilliant long brown and finally advance to the evening.

“He played well and he deserved to go through,” said Trump. “I didn’t play badly but he was too good and I hope he goes on to do really well.

“I did my best to try and get back into the game but he barely missed a ball. He potted a really good brown at the end of the last frame and he played as well as anyone can play.

“When you get to the last 32 you know you’re going to be up against a dangerous player and you’ve got to give everyone as much respect as you can.

“There are times when you know you’ve been outplayed and I gave it my all. It was the same last year when Ryan Day played amazingly to beat me in the last 16.

“In a best-of-seven-frames match anyone can win the game, and even the tournament. It’s disappointing to lose but you can’t do anything about it.”

O'Sullivan given easy time

Ronnie O'Sullivan was nowhere near his best in a 4-1 victory over Hossein Vafaei, who offered little resistance despite taking the opening frame.

From there, the Iranian made mistake after mistake in his first encounter with O'Sullivan, who punished his opponent thereafter with breaks of 52, 55 and 60.

It was far from vintage stuff from The Rocket, but with Vafaei making a match-high break of 25 there was only ever going to be one winner despite a tight opener going the way of the underdog.

O'Sullivan will return to the arena this evening to face Mei Xi Wen, who beat Elliot Slessor 4-1.

"Pleased to be in the next round," said O'Sullivan. "I was just laughing at Hossein - he's so funny. I couldn't stop laughing.

"I'm just enjoying it, it's all a bit of fun. I've got my eggs in lots of different baskets - it takes the pressure off completely.

"If I wasn't punditing (sic) I probably wouldn't have even come, so for me it's like a bit of practice.

"In some ways I'm getting punished for winning because I want to pundit - it's a nightmare, really."

Zhao about that?

The upset of the round and the result of the tournament so far came courtesy of Zhao Xintong, who whitewashed Neil Robertson in a 4-0 demolition job.

It's six years since then-16-year-old Zhao was hailed as the next big thing by Steve Davis, and last season's run to the Welsh Open quarter-finals served notice that the Chinese youngster might be ready to live up to the billing.

This was his biggest statement yet as he edged the first two frames before producing breaks of 68 and 71 to dump out Robertson, who is yet to advance beyond the quarter-finals in this event and complained at the start of the week that his year had not gone to plan.

That run continued here with nothing going right for the Australian, and Zhao's reward for being so ruthless is a clash with David Gilbert, a 4-2 winner over Kurt Maflin.

Hawk eyes Allen clash

Barry Hawkins was given his first real run-out of the week in a 4-2 victory over Fergal O'Brien which was sealed when he stole the final frame by a single point.

He advances to face Mark Allen, who had no real cause for alarm in a 4-1 victory over Louis Heathcote, knocking in breaks of 54, 72 and 64.

Joining those two in the last 16 at the very bottom of the draw is Gary Wilson, who was a gritty 4-3 winner against Joe Perry.

Wilson faces Walker next rather than a rematch with Trump, who beat him in the semi-finals of the World Championship earlier this year.

Ford focus

Tom Ford beat Kyren Wilson 4-2 to reach the last 16 of the English Open.

The pair met at the International Championship earlier in the season, Ford winning a final-frame decider, and he again had Wilson's measure in Crawley.

A fluent 124 break in the fourth frame gave him a 3-1 lead and while Wilson's 56 in the next got him back within one, a run of 74 from Ford saw him progress to a meeting with in-form Shaun Murphy, a 4-0 winner over Fan Zhengyi.

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh was also a 4-2 winner, like Ford, having overcome Graeme Dott to book a clash with Ricky Walden, who edged a tight final frame to beat Michael Holt 4-3.

Jack the bad

Xiao Guodong claimed a high-profile scalp with a 4-3 victory Jack Lisowski, his rewarded for which is a clash with Mark Selby, who continued his serene progress in a 4-2 defeat of Matthew Selt.

And at the very top of the draw, Si Jiahui impressed again as the 17-year-old thrashed Chinese compatriot Zhou Yuelong 4-0.

Jiahui has dropped just one frame in three wins, the first three of his professional career, and will face countryman Tian Pengfei for a place in the quarter-finals after the latter beat Dominic Dale 4-2.

English Open results

Thursday October 17
Third round - best of 7 frames
TV Coverage: Eurosport

1000 BST

• Si Jiahui 4-0 Zhou Yuelong
• Tian Pengfei 4-2 Dominic Dale
• Tom Ford 4-2 Kyren Wilson
• David Gilbert 4-2 Kurt Maflin
• Ricky Walden 4-3 Michael Holt
• Xiao Guodong 4-3 Jack Lisowski
• Matthew Selt 2-4 Mark Selby

1300 BST

• Fan Zhengyi 0-4 Shaun Murphy
• Graeme Dott 2-4 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
• Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-1 Hossein Vafaei
• Mei Xi Wen 4-1 Elliot Slessor
• Mark Allen 4-1 Louis Heathcote
• Barry Hawkins 4-2 Fergal O'Brien
• Gary Wilson 4-3 Joe Perry
• Neil Robertson 0-4 Zhao Xintong
• Lee Walker 4-2 Judd Trump