Shock upset! Snooker Wuhan Open: Zhao Xintong loses 4-5 to Maguire in a last-second thriller, bizarrely dropping the deciding frame

On August 26th Beijing time, the Wuhan Open snooker main event round of 32 began, concluding an intense showdown between World Champion Zhao Xintong and Maguire. Both players fought fiercely, and in a surprising turn, Zhao lost the deciding frame despite a significant lead, falling 4-5 to Maguire and failing to reach the top 16!

Zhao Xintong is a prominent Chinese snooker player who, as an amateur last season, went on a winning streak from the qualifiers and ultimately claimed the World Championship title, becoming the first Chinese player to do so and breaking into the world’s top ten rankings. Expectations were high for Zhao to dominate this season, but his performance in the opening events has been somewhat disappointing, showing a noticeable drop in form compared to the World Championship!

At the Wuhan Open, Zhao won two consecutive matches to reach the round of 32, where he faced Maguire, a ranking event winner. Although Maguire’s ranking isn’t very high, he is a strong competitor, so Zhao had to prepare for a tough challenge!

The match started evenly with both players sharing the first four frames, each scoring over 50 points per break, tied at 2-2. The fifth frame slowed down, with Zhao narrowly winning 77-38 through careful play. Maguire stayed close, leveling at 3-3 with a 92-point break. In the seventh frame, Zhao delivered a century break to take a 4-3 lead and match point. Maguire responded in the eighth with a century break of his own to even the score again. The deciding frame was unbelievable: Zhao led 61-12 but then made a series of mistakes, even accidentally freeing a red and black ball near the cushion during his attack. Maguire capitalized on Zhao’s errors with a defensive clearance to complete a stunning last-moment comeback and snatch the win!

It’s hard not to feel disappointed by Zhao’s performance. In the seventh frame, with several balls near the cushion, a simple defensive shot could have secured the win, but Zhao chose a baffling and inexplicable way to lose. It’s truly astonishing. He plays well when ahead, but once the match turns into a tight battle, he tends to lose more often than win, mainly because he focuses on offense and lacks solid defense. When his attacks miss, losing becomes inevitable!

Written by/Titan Sports Fiction