NANJING, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize set up an all-Chinese semifinal clash at the 2025 World Snooker Tour International Championship.
The 22-year-old Wu, who defeated world No. 1 Judd Trump in the previous round, maintained his excellent form to sweep Barry Hawkins 6-0 in the quarterfinals on Thursday. In the first session, Wu took a 4-0 lead. After the interval, he fired in a century break of 111 to reach match point. In the sixth frame, after a missed shot by Hawkins, Wu sealed the win with a break of 86.
"I didn't expect to win this match so smoothly before it started," Wu said after the match.
"In previous encounters with Hawkins, I never really had much of an edge. I lost to him at this year's World Snooker Shanghai Masters. He is a very consistent player with no obvious weaknesses." Wu added.
Wu said his win over Trump the previous day had boosted his confidence. He hopes to maintain his form and keep improving. "I don't have specific goals for the upcoming matches. Defeating Trump was already really tough, so I just want to focus on playing my own game well."
In the other quarterfinal, Zhao edged Mark Selby 6-5. Selby led 4-2, but Zhao responded with breaks of 68, 97 and 55 to win three straight frames and reach match point. Selby forced a decider with a break of 81 and an impressive clearance, before Zhao took the final frame with a 63.
Zhao recalled that when he trailed 1-3 in the first session, Selby offered few chances, and he focused mainly on defense early on. "During the mid-session interval, I thought I had to find my own attacking rhythm in the second session. After the break, I basically stuck to my plan. There were still some mistakes, but overall, it wasn't bad." Zhao added.
Looking ahead to the semifinal against Wu on Friday, Zhao praised his recent form. "The shots Wu made when coming back to beat Trump were truly impressive, and his 6-0 win over Hawkins today shows he definitely has what it takes to win the title. I hope I can perform better in the semi-finals and focus on playing each shot well."
Elsewhere, Stephen Maguire beat Zak Surety 6-1. He will face John Higgins in the semifinals after Higgins defeated Shaun Murphy 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
The event will conclude on Sunday. ■
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