Wuhan Open snooker 2024 LIVE – Shaun Murphy behind against Xiao Guodong before Judd Trump takes on Chris Wakelin

Murphy looks to play the containing safety shot but doesn’t get the cue ball tight to the top cushion and Xiao plays a fabulous shot as he makes the pot into the left centre while nudging the black into a potable position for the same pocket.

Xiao lets the cue ball run on slightly too far for an easy red which would free the black spot but he has another one which sends the cue ball towards baulk. A few shots later and he has the chance to nudge that red away from the black spot, turning this into a much better chance now for a four frame lead.

Murphy is up to break in this final frame before the interval and it’s a good one tight to the baulk cushion but it’s a nice response from the Chinese player. A few shots later and Xiao goes in off once again into the green pocket after attempting a shot to nothing into the right corner pocket.

But with the pink and black tied up, Murphy sees no value in taking a pot on and plays safe. The resulting safety shot from Xiao is the more telling one though and Murphy is in a spot of bother here tight to the baulk cushion with the green and blue blocking potential routes down the table.

Long Zehuang has taken a 2-0 lead against Jack Liswoski, who is in first in the third frame.

With some handy flicks along the way, Xiao makes his third century of the match with a total clearance of 125 and with less than an hour played its 3-0 to the world number 29. This really is world class from the Chinese player – you can’t play much better than this.

Murphy, who has been a complete spectator so far, taps his leg once again in appreciation at the century mark before offering a full round of applause upon the total clearance.

Xiao continues to pick off the reds in a confident and assured manner and before you know it he has the finishing line of this third frame in sight. A comfortable black leaves Murphy requiring snookers.

Xiao does well to flick off the bunch to land high on the blue allowing him to split the pack on his next hot. It’s a good shot but he is not perfect on his next red and needs the rest.

He lands tight to the cushion for next red but some nice cuing sees him land on a red on the pink spot and he is back in prime position.

Xiao gets this third frame underway and will be looking to ensure a lead heading into the mid-session interval. Murphy has an immediate chance with a long red but he catches it thick. That was one you would expect a fully-firing Murphy to make.

Xiao can capitalise with a red into the right corner pocket to get off the mark and with a nice blue into the yellow bag, he is in once again.

Long Zehuang is at the table with the scores tied at 41 each. The Chinese player still leads the match 1-0.

It’s back-to-back centuries for the world number 29 as he clears the table once again with a break of 109. Really clinical start from Xiao this morning. Warning signs for Murphy who will be ruing that missed black but offers a tap of the knee for that wonderful break.

Xiao lands a little straight on a blue which stops him in his tracks slightly but he recovers well with the rest on the next shot and he needs just one more red to clinch this second frame.

In it goes and this has been excellent start from the Chinese with Murphy facing a 2-0 deficit in no time at all after making two errors in the match.

After looking confident and likely to make a good contribution, it breaks down for Murphy on 17 as a black clips the near jaw. That was a careless shot from the Magician and you could see his frustration at missing that one.

This is an excellent chance now for the Chinese player to double his advantage early on with just one awkward red.

Murphy takes his second shot of the match as he breaks off this second frame. A lengthy safety exchange is eventually concluded as Xiao sees the cue ball drop in the green pocket and Murphy punishes the mistake, taking a thin red into the right corner pocket.

Home favourite Long Zehuang has taken a one frame lead against Jack Liswoski.

With the high break of the tournament on the cards with a possible 140, Xiao takes a pink from one of the remaining reds and in turn goes on to make a 139 which equals the high break made by five other players so far this tournament. More importantly thought it’s a really confident start that sends a clear signal of intent to his opponent.

There’s nothing awkward now with three loose reds and a couple more below the pink looking like they’ll pot into the right corner pocket.

He lands low on the blue again but there is work to do this time. As he sends the cue ball between yellow and brown he loses it to the left cushion making the next pot tricky but he holds his nerve well. He landed low on the black though making the final red to secure the frame a mid-distance one but it’s in the heart of the pocket and he looks to have this first frame wrapped up.

It’s a confident start from the 35-year-old who continues to pick off reds and blacks. He leaves himself slightly low on a red just below the bunch allowing him to screw off the pack to release another handful.

Xiao lands on the wrong side of the blue but Murphy’s earlier missed red that travelled down to baulk means there is no issue.

Murphy has the first sighter of a long red from Xiao’s break but he catches it thin and the Chinese player has an early chance now.

He sinks the first red into the right corner pocket with the rest and is now plum on the black. Down it goes and this is a great early chance.

It’s Xiao Guodong who kicks things off in this quarter-final tie.

A reminder that, as in the last 16, these quarter-final ties will be best of nine so it’s a race to five.

The players are about to be brought out for this morning’s session so we are just moments away from getting underway.

Judd Trump, who will be in action later this afternoon, had a moment of panic in his last 16 tie yesterday as he returned from the mid-session interval to realise he was about to break off with someone else’s cue.

Our attention this morning will be with Shaun Murphy who takes on Xiao Guodong for a place in the semi-final. The pair’s last meeting was at another quarter-final stage as Murphy beat the Chinese player 6-2 in the Saudi Arabia Masters earlier this season.

The Magician has had a tricky route to the last eight this week coming through tests with Anthony Hamilton and Noppon Saengkham before being taken to a decider by Ali Carter. The world number eight is looking to reach his third semi-final of the season after being beaten by Judd Trump in both the last four in Saudi Arabia and the final of the Shanghai Masters.

Murphy’s opponent this morning has found an impressive run of form this week, taking down world champion Kyren Wilson in a tie that went down to the final pink of the decider before dispatching Barry Hawkins 5-2. At stake is a meeting with either Jack Lisowski or Zehuang Long who face off in this morning’s other match.

• Jack Lisowski v Long Zehuang
• Shaun Murphy v Xiao Guodong

• Judd Trump v Chris Wakelin
• Zhang Anda v Si Jiahui