International Championship 2026: Fan Zhengyi beats Judd Trump 6-5 as Selby and Robertson advance

Judd Trump's bid for another International Championship title is over before it really started. China's Fan Zhengyi beat the Englishman 6-5 in the last 64 in Nanjing on Sunday 1 November, giving the home crowd an early highlight in the £825,000 ranking event. Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and John Higgins were among the big names who safely reached the last 32, which gets under way on Monday 2 November. Nanjing is on the same time as Malaysia, so the sessions are played live at local times here.

Fan holds his nerve against Trump

Trump made the better start, winning the two long, tactical opening frames. Fan then took control with four frames in a row to lead 4-2. Trump hit back to level at 4-4 and again at 5-5, but Fan won the decider even though Trump had a chance to build a match-winning break. Trump's highest break of the match was 81.

Fan, whose only ranking title came at the 2022 European Masters when he beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-9 in the final, now faces the winner of Pang Junxu against Mina Awad in the last 32.

Selby, Robertson and Higgins advance

Selby, playing on Saturday, beat 64-year-old Jimmy White 6-2. White lost the first four frames and never really threatened a comeback, though he did win a frame to the delight of the Nanjing crowd. Selby now meets Hossein Vafaei, who whitewashed Stuart Carrington 6-0.

Robertson beat Jiang Jun 6-2 and will play Wang Xinbo, who removed Jak Jones 6-3. Higgins, last year's runner-up, beat Lyu Haotian 6-3 and faces either Xu Si or Gary Wilson. Mark Williams beat Ishpreet Singh Chadha 6-2 and plays Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, who received a walkover.

Upsets and walkovers

Trump was not the only seed to fall. World No. 90 Liam Davies beat Zhou Yuelong 6-2, a result that ended Zhou's hopes of breaking into the top 16 before the UK Championship. Davies told SnookerHQ that he loves the big occasion, and he will face former champion Ricky Walden next.

Former world finalist Marco Fu beat Stuart Bingham 6-4, and Belgium's Julien Leclercq beat Ashley Carty 6-1 to set up a meeting with Fu. Ryan Day beat Lei Peifan 6-4 and Si Jiahui beat David Grace 6-4.

Three players reached the last 32 without hitting a ball. Shaun Murphy and Luca Brecel withdrew for medical reasons and Barry Hawkins through illness, giving walkovers to Mitchell Mann, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Ricky Walden respectively.

What's next

All 16 last-32 matches are scheduled for Monday 2 November, with the winners of Sunday's remaining last-64 ties completing the line-up. The last 16 follows on Tuesday. Matches are best of 11 frames until the semi-finals, which are best of 17 over two sessions, and the final on Saturday 7 November is best of 19. The winner takes home £175,000. Wu beat John Higgins 10-6 in last year's final.

Key takeaways

• Fan Zhengyi beat Judd Trump 6-5 in the last 64, winning the deciding frame.
• Mark Selby beat Jimmy White 6-2 and now faces Hossein Vafaei.
• Neil Robertson (6-2 v Jiang Jun) and John Higgins (6-3 v Lyu Haotian) also progressed.
• Liam Davies beat Zhou Yuelong 6-2 and Marco Fu beat Stuart Bingham 6-4.
• Murphy, Hawkins and Brecel withdrew before playing.

FAQ

Who knocked Judd Trump out of the 2026 International Championship? China's Fan Zhengyi beat Trump 6-5 in the last 64 in Nanjing on 1 November.

When is the 2026 International Championship final? The final is on Saturday 7 November in Nanjing and is played over the best of 19 frames.

How much does the winner receive? The champion earns £175,000 from a total prize fund of £825,000.

Sources: World Snooker Tour, snooker.org, RTE, SnookerHQ, FinnSnooker, Totally Snookered, Wikipedia