The 2024 International Championship has reached the semi-finals stage at the SNC National Fitness Center in Nanjing.
Four players are still pursuing the eighth ranking title of the 2024/25 snooker season, with £175,000 up for grabs for the winner this weekend.
The International Championship is one of only a few events on the calendar where the semi-finals will take place over two sessions.
The opening fixture is on Friday before the second battle is contested on Saturday ahead of the Sunday final.
Three out of the four semi-finalists are Chinese, the second time in succession that this has happened in a Chinese ranking tournament.
Let’s take a look at both matches.
International Championship semi-finals
Chris Wakelin vs Xiao Guodong
A dramatic quarter-final day on Thursday saw all but two frames being played across all four clashes.
Chris Wakelin’s duel with John Higgins was so close that they were controversially pulled off at 5-5, a decision that the latter was visibly furious about.
Wakelin returned later in the day to complete the victory, and the Englishman is now one win away from a place among the top 16 in the world rankings for the first time in his career.
That would be particularly good timing with the cut-off point for automatic qualification to the UK Championship happening after the conclusion of this week’s action.
Opponent Xiao Guodong has already safeguarded his maiden status among the elite bracket of the rankings, forcing Neil Robertson into the UK Championship qualifiers in the process.
Many probably felt that Xiao’s performance in Wuhan, where he came from practically nowhere to land a maiden ranking crown, was going to be a flash in the pan.
The 35 year-old has certainly proved his doubters wrong with another strong week on home turf as he challenges for even more silverware.
To reach another final, however, Xiao will have to do something he’s never done before and beat Wakelin, a player he has lost to on each of their four previous meetings.
Xu Si vs Ding Junhui
It had been a season of struggle for Ding Junhui until now, with the former world number one languishing down the one-year rankings.
But the 14-time ranking event winner has shifted through the gears this week with some fine displays, including a confident finish to beat Kyren Wilson in the last eight.
Ding fired in a brace of century breaks to complete a 6-4 win over the world champion, and as the world number nine, he’s the highest-ranked contender left in the International Championship semi-finals.
How the 37 year-old, chasing a first ranking trophy since 2019, will handle the pressure of being the favourite again will be interesting to see.
Against Xu Si, Ding faces a challenger who has already enjoyed a great week after compiling a 147 break and through his dispatching of world number one Judd Trump.
In the quarter-finals, the 26 year-old fought back from 5-3 behind to deny Gary Wilson in a decider – leaving his opponent pointless in those last three frames.
Xu has beaten Ding only once in professional competition and suffered a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of his countryman at the recent Wuhan Open.
Xu, Ding, and Wakelin are also scrambling for something else this week – the final spot in next week’s Champion of Champions draw.
2024 International Championship
Semi-Finals (bo17)
Friday, November 8th
6am and 11:30am UTC
Chris Wakelin vs Xiao Guodong
Saturday, November 9th
6am and 11:30am UTC
Xu Si vs Ding Junhui
Click here to view the full draw
(snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WST
Ding could still get that final spot through his ranking if Xiao wins another title this term. It’s easy to say this given he’s in the semis now but fancied Xiao to kick on as he’s arguably underachieved given his scoring power. The confidence is clearly flowing.
Jak Jones will have to qualify for York if Wakelin wins today.