Oliver Lines Upsets World Number One Zhao Xintong in English Open

Oliver Lines produced the performance of his career to knock out world number one Zhao Xintong with a 4-2 victory in the first round of the English Open in Brentwood.

Few gave the 31-year-old from England much of a chance against the 2025 world champion. Zhao arrived as the man to beat and played like it early on, reeling off two century breaks to keep the match locked at 2-2 after four frames.

Lines refused to blink.

With the match on a knife-edge, he found his scoring touch at exactly the right time. A composed 77 edged him in front, and the belief visibly grew. The next frame he was even better, compiling an 84 to close out a statement win and book his place in the last 32.

"You know you have to raise your game," Lines said afterwards. "You try not to think about it, but you know if you don't play somewhere near your best then you are going home."

Zhao’s two tons underlined his class, but he never managed to shake Lines off. The pressure finally told in the closing frames as the underdog seized control and never let it go, setting up a last-32 clash with Yuan Sijun.

It was not the only shock of the day.

Other Notable Upsets

• World number four Neil Robertson also fell at the first hurdle, losing 4-3 to China’s Luo Zetao in another notable upset.
• Former world champion Kyren Wilson delivered a solid 4-1 win over Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski.
• China’s three-time UK Championship winner Ding Junhui edged past Michael Holt in a 4-3 thriller.

Lines’ win over the sport’s top-ranked player, though, is the result that will echo loudest around the English Open – and it gives this tournament an early jolt of unpredictability.