Oliver Lines Shocks Zhao Xintong at English Open

Oliver Lines produced the shock of the English Open first round, dumping out world number one Zhao Xintong with a fearless 4-2 victory in Brentwood.

Zhao, the 2025 world champion and heavy favourite, twice looked to have the match under control. He fired in two century breaks and had the contest locked at 2-2, the kind of position from which he usually suffocates opponents.

Lines refused to fold.

The 31-year-old from England, who has spent much of his career in the shadows of the sport’s elite, bit down on the pressure and hit back with two clinical visits when it mattered most. He strung together a break of 77 to edge in front, then followed it with an 84 to close out the match in style and book his place in the last 32.

"You know you have to raise your game," Lines said afterwards, fully aware of the scale of the task he had just passed. "You try not to think about it, but you know if you don't play somewhere near your best then you are going home."

This time, Zhao was the one heading for the exit as Lines earned a meeting with Yuan Sijun in the next round, and with it a real chance to turn one statement win into a deep run.

The upsets did not stop there. World number four Neil Robertson also crashed out, edged 4-3 by China’s Luo Zetao in another early jolt to the tournament’s established order.

Some big names did hold their nerve. Former world champion Kyren Wilson moved through with a controlled 4-1 victory over Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski, while China’s three-time UK Championship winner Ding Junhui was pushed all the way before sealing a 4-3 success against Michael Holt.

On a day that rattled the seedings, it was Lines’ composure under the lights that stood out most. Now the question is whether this is a one-off scalp, or the spark of something bigger in his season.