Zhao and Ding advance to last 16 at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
Making his debut in the tournament, Zhao swept England's Steven Hallworth five-zero in just 55 minutes in the best-of-nine contest, producing breaks of over 90 points in every frame, including a high break of 132 in the second frame.
"I played quite well today, and had decent breaks in every frame," Zhao said. "This is my first time playing in Saudi Arabia. For a debut, I think I did pretty well and enjoyed the stage." Ding recovered from a slow start against Stephen Maguire, overturning a 1-2 deficit to win four straight frames and seal a 5-2 victory.
"At the beginning, I hadn't yet adapted to the pace of the match, but I gradually found my rhythm and touch after getting a few chances," Ding said.
The Saudi Snooker Masters was inaugurated in 2024, and this year marks Ding's second consecutive appearance.
In an all-Chinese clash, Si Jiahui rallied to beat Wu Yize 5-3 and will face Kyren Wilson for a place in the quarterfinals. Chang Bingyu edged world number 10 Mark Allen 5-4 and will take on Ronnie O'Sullivan next.
Trump, aiming to defend his title, fell 3-5 to world number 68 Oliver Lines, while world number four John Higgins exited after a 4-5 loss to Elliot Slessor.
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