World champion Wu Yize rallied to secure a 5-4 victory over Jamie Clarke in their first-round match at the Shenzhen Open snooker tournament. Wu, currently ranked world No. 4, opened strongly with a 143 clearance to take a 3-0 lead. However, Clarke responded with four half-century breaks, leveling the match before Wu sealed the win in the deciding frame.

The tournament, held at the Bao’an Sports Centre, also saw several other notable results. Mark Selby advanced to the second round with a 5-3 win over Andrew Higginson during the event’s opening session. Meanwhile, Michael Holt narrowly defeated China’s Xiao Guodong 5-4.

In another tightly contested match, Ricky Walden eliminated Ding Junhui in a final-frame decider, contributing the highest break of the round with a 133. World No. 3 Neil Robertson continued his strong form with a 5-1 victory against Lei Peifan, advancing comfortably to the last 16.

Jimmy Robertson also progressed with a 5-1 win over Ben Mertens, compiling breaks of 121 and 117. Zak Surety secured a 5-3 victory against China’s Jiang Jun by posting four half-century breaks, including a run of 118. Scott Donaldson edged past Pang Junxu 5-4 after a lengthy deciding frame, clinching the final frame 74-66 on the black ball.

The Shenzhen Open continues to showcase top-tier talent as players compete for ranking points and prize money in this key event on the snooker calendar.