Judd Trump, the world number one, suffered a shock defeat at the China Open by Thailand's Noppon Saengkham, a player ranked 45th in the world. Saengkham won the first round 6-3, setting up a second-round match against either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Jackson Page. Trump, who won the China Open in 2011 and 2016, came into the event off the back of beating Kyren Wilson in the Shanghai Masters final.

The 36-year-old has won just ranking tournaments in the past two years. The China Open has returned to the World Snooker Tour calendar for the first time since 2019 and is now hosted in Taiyuan, 310 miles southwest of Beijing. Trump topped the world rankings since August 2024 but must win the Wuhan Open and hope other results go his way to remain at the summit.