Oliver Lines Upsets World Number One Zhao Xintong at English Open

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

The 31-year-old from England walked into the arena knowing exactly what he was up against: the 2025 world champion, in form, scoring heavy, and usually ruthless once he gets in. Zhao underlined that status with two century breaks as the pair traded blows through the opening four frames, locked at 2-2 and with all the pressure seemingly on Lines.

At that point, most players buckle. Lines went the other way.

With the match finely poised, he dug in and began to dictate. A composed break of 77 swung the fifth frame his way, the first real sign that Zhao’s grip on the contest was loosening. The belief grew, the cue action loosened, and when the chance came again in the sixth, Lines pounced with an 84 to close it out, completing a superb finish against the sport’s top-ranked player.

"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."

He is not going home yet. That performance earns him a place in the last 32, where he will face China’s Yuan Sijun, and a real platform to turn a statement win into a deep run.

The shocks were not confined to one table. World number four Neil Robertson also fell at the first hurdle, edged out 4-3 by China’s Luo Zetao in another notable upset on day one. Robertson, a former world champion and one of the tour’s most consistent forces, found himself on the wrong side of a tight decider as Luo held his nerve.

Some of the established names did steady the ship for the seeds. Former world champion Kyren Wilson advanced with authority, dispatching Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski 4-1, while Ding Junhui needed all his experience to survive. The three-time UK Championship winner from China was pushed to the brink by Michael Holt before squeezing through 4-3.

An opening round that began as routine has already torn up the script. With the world number one and number four out, and underdogs landing heavy blows, the English Open is suddenly wide open – and Oliver Lines has just put his name right in the middle of it.