27th August

Judd Trump made the ideal start to his bid to hang onto the world number one ranking, winning consecutive 5-0 whitewashes to reach the last 16 of the Wuhan Open unscathed. Trump is set to lose the £500,000 he earned for the now-discontinued Saudi Arabia Masters from his two-year rolling total, meaning only a Wuhan title will keep him at the summit.

Zhao Xintong, Neil Robertson, Wu Yize, and Mark Selby were the other four players who arrived in China able to finish the week on top, though Wu's hopes ended abruptly in round one. Trump now knows he must go all the way to keep hold of the ranking he has held for nearly two years.

Reigning World Champion Wu Yize suffered a shock first-round exit at the Wuhan Open, beaten 5-3 by Latvia's Artemijs Zizins, who had to come through two qualifying rounds in Leicester just to reach the main draw. Zizins built a 3-1 lead with runs of 58, 85, and 85, and although Wu hit back with breaks of 129 and 87 to edge ahead, the third-season professional held his nerve on the colours in a deciding-frame finish.

It is Zizins' biggest win on tour to date and the third World Champion he has beaten as a professional, having previously accounted for both Ken Doherty and Luca Brecel. The result also ends Wu's own outside chance of finishing the week as world number one.