If yesterday was a day for the seeds, day three in the World Open was all about the underdog as there were a host of upsets in the last 32 in Yushan.
World champion Mark Selby, world no.2 Stuart Bingham, home favourite Ding Junhui and former world no.1 Judd Trump all exited in the second round.
Selby was never at the races as he fell to the talented Thai Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5-3.
Un-Nooh was the dominant player throughout the contest and could have easily won more comfortably had he converted more of his many chances, but eventually got across the winning post thanks to a completely out of sorts display from the the world number one.
The 31 year-old is one of the most exciting cueists to watch on the circuit, with his lightning style reminiscent of Tony Drago in his heyday, but he will have to lower his lapse in concentration count if he is ready to properly challenge for a major title.
Bingham, meanwhile, had the opportunity this week to become the newest top ranked player but was downed once again by regular foe Ali Carter.
Carter ended Bingham’s reign as world champion at the Crucible in April and Bingo hasn’t gotten one over his fellow Essex native in a ranking event since 2006.
Ding and Trump, having watched the top two seeds exit in the afternoon, would have been hoping to take advantage in the evening’s bout of play but neither even threatened to book their spots in the last 16.
Trump lost 5-2 to Zhang Anda, who is the last remaining Chinese hopeful left in the draw, while Ding crashed out to Ben Woollaston.
It was a bad day for the home players as Liang Wenbo, Xiao Guodong and Zhou Yuelong joined Ding on the sidelines – losing to Alan McManus, Kurt Maflin and David Gilbert respectively.
The shocks didn’t end, though, as Daniel Wells inflicted a 5-0 drubbing over Shanghai Masters champion Kyren Wilson.
Some of the marquee names did emerge unscathed, although some barely.
Defending champion Shaun Murphy whitewashed Jimmy Robertson while Neil Robertson enjoyed a similarly handy time of it against Malaysian Thor Chuan Leong.
However, it was much tougher for legends John Higgins and Mark Williams with each coming from behind to deny Michael Holt and Graeme Dott.
Higgins and Williams will play each other tomorrow in an intriguing battle where a place in the quarter-finals is at stake.
Elsewhere, Indian Open champion Anthony McGill maintained his run of form with a confident 5-1 defeat of Ricky Walden, while Ryan Day and Joe Perry also progressed.
Matthew Selt and Sam Craigie were 2-2 at the time of writing in the final encounter on Wednesday.
