Trump Tumbles Out of China Open as Saengkham Stuns World Number One
Judd Trump's hold on the world number one ranking slipped a little further on Sunday when he was beaten 6-3 by Thailand's Noppon Saengkham in the first round of the China Open in Taiyuan.
Saengkham, ranked 45th, produced the sharpest break-building of the match. A break of 120 — a single visit to the table worth 100 or more points — put him 5-2 ahead, and he closed out the contest with a 78-0 final frame that Trump never got into.
The result carries real weight. Trump has topped the world rankings since August 2024, but this early exit leaves his position vulnerable. To keep any chance of staying at the summit, he must win the Wuhan Open later in August and hope other results fall his way. Zhao Xintong is best placed to overhaul him, with Neil Robertson and Wu Yize close behind.
The match had its swings. Trump dropped the opening two frames, then fought back to level at 2-2. From there, Saengkham won three in a row to seize control and never let go.
Trump arrived in Taiyuan in strong form. He had beaten Kyren Wilson in the final of the invitational Shanghai Masters the previous week, and his most recent ranking title came at the German Masters in February. He is also a two-time China Open champion, having won the event in 2011 and 2016.
Saengkham's reward is a second-round meeting with either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Jackson Page.
The tournament itself is a welcome return. The China Open last appeared on the World Snooker Tour calendar in 2019 before dropping off. It is now back, hosted in Taiyuan, 310 miles south-west of Beijing, with £250,000 for the winner and £100,000 for the runner-up.
The first round also swept aside several other big names. Ding Junhui, China's most celebrated player, was beaten 6-1 by David Gilbert. Barry Hawkins lost to Liu Hongyu, and Mark Williams fell to Zhou Yuelong.
For Trump, the focus shifts to Wuhan. For Saengkham, the table is set for a run nobody saw coming.
