Wu Yize beats Yuan Sijun 10-5 for Shenzhen Open; Northern Ireland Open next

World champion Wu Yize beat Yuan Sijun 10-5 to win the Shenzhen Open on Sunday 4 October, his first title since he lifted the world crown at the Crucible in May. The next ranking event, the Northern Ireland Open, starts in Belfast on Sunday 18 October and runs to 25 October.

Shenzhen Open final: seven of the last eight frames

The all-Chinese final was close for a session. Yuan, playing in his first ranking final, led 4-3 during the opening session and was only 5-4 behind at the interval, Sporting Life reported. Wu then pulled away, taking seven of the last eight frames to close it out 10-5.

Wu's route to the final went through two of the biggest names in the sport, Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump. It ended what Sporting Life called a quiet start to the season for the world champion.

Wu told World Snooker Tour after the final that he had been "a little more composed" than in his two previous title wins, and that he had grown "both physically and mentally".

What it means for the season

• Wu Yize: a third career title after the two he referred to, and back in form a fortnight before the Home Nations swing continues.
• Yuan Sijun: a first ranking final, a big step for a player who had never gone this far in a ranking event.
• Chinese snooker: two Chinese players contested a ranking final on home soil in Shenzhen.

Our earlier snooker calendar set out the autumn run of events; the Shenzhen result is the first of those to be decided.

Next: Northern Ireland Open, 18 to 25 October

The 2026 Northern Ireland Open is the seventh ranking event of the 2026-27 season and the second of the four Home Nations events, played at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Qualifying was played in Leicester from 13 to 16 September.

• Defending champion: Jack Lisowski, who beat Judd Trump 9-8 in the 2025 final.
• After Belfast: the International Championship in Nanjing from 31 October to 7 November, then the invitational Champion of Champions in Leicester from 9 to 15 November.

Belfast times in Pakistan

Belfast is on British Summer Time for most of the event, four hours behind Pakistan: an afternoon session at 1pm in Belfast starts at 5pm PKT, and an evening session at 7pm finishes after midnight in Pakistan. The clocks in the UK go back on the morning of the final, Sunday 25 October, so on final day the gap widens to five hours (1pm in Belfast is 6pm PKT). The full session schedule had not been published on the official tour site when we checked.

For other sport across the week, see our sports desk.