Oliver Lines Stuns Zhao Xintong at English Open

Oliver Lines stunned world number one Zhao Xintong with a fearless 4-2 victory in the first round of the English Open, producing one of the standout shocks of the early stages in Brentwood.

Zhao, the 2025 world champion, looked ominously sharp. He rolled in two century breaks and dragged the match level at 2-2, appearing to have settled into the kind of ruthless rhythm that usually ends opponents’ evenings in a hurry.

Lines refused to fold.

The 31-year-old from England bit down on the pressure and responded with the two best frames of his night. He pieced together a composed 77 to move 3-2 ahead, then followed it with an even more assured 84 to close out the match and dump the top seed out of the tournament.

"You know you have to raise your game," Lines admitted afterwards. "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, he was staying. The win sends him into the last 32, where he will face Yuan Sijun, with the draw suddenly looking a little more open at the top end.

The upsets did not stop there. World number four Neil Robertson also made an early exit, edged 4-3 by China’s Luo Zetao in another tight first-round battle.

Some of the established names did hold firm. Former world champion Kyren Wilson produced a solid 4-1 win over Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski, while China’s three-time UK Championship winner Ding Junhui was pushed all the way before scraping past Michael Holt 4-3.

On a day when giants fell and reputations were tested, it was Lines’ cool finish against the sport’s leading player that reshaped the story of this English Open.