Three Chinese players reach WST International Championship semifinals

Three home players, Ding Junhui, Xu Si and Xiao Guodong, beat their opponents on Thursday at the World Snooker Tour (WST) International Championship in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, to advance to the semifinals at the tournament.

Ding defeated World Champion Kyren Wilson of England 6-4 in the quarterfinals. He built an early 4-1 lead with breaks of 57, 72 and 84. Though Wilson responded quickly with 57, 70 and 80 to tie the match 4-4, Ding outperformed him in the final two frames with two century breaks of 129 and 123, sealing his victory.

"I could really feel the support from the crowd – they wanted to see me perform well and get a good result," Ding told reporters after the match. "Kyren is world champion and one of the most consistent top players at the moment, so this wasn't an easy win. If I hadn't played as well as I did today, it would have been tough to beat him."

Ding will face Xu in the last four after Xu came back from 5-3 down to edge out Gary Wilson of England 6-5. Wilson came close to winning the battle after making 105 and 136 to go 5-3 up, but Xu clinched three straight frames with 58, 81 and 68 for the win and his second career ranking event semifinals.

"I grew up watching Ding play and have been greatly inspired by him," Xu said of playing Ding next. "So I'm really looking forward to the chance to play him in the semi-finals. I've been able to stick to my approach this week without giving up in tough situations."

Xiao beat Jackson Page of Wales 6-4 in the quarterfinals, making the world's top 16 for the first time in his career.

Having trailed 2-1 after three frames, Xiao fired breaks of 135, 110 and 50 to lead 5-2. Though Page closed the gap to 5-4 with two breaks of 86 and 82, the 35-year-old home veteran ended the battle with a run of 73 in the 10th frame.

"Playing a tournament in China also makes a difference," Xiao said. "The promoters provide us with so much support, and having my family nearby is encouraging too. Playing abroad, I'm usually competing alone, but in China, it feels more like a team effort. In Wuhan, three Chinese players made it to the semi-finals, and this time it could be the same. Competing at home makes us feel more at ease."

Xiao will meet Chris Wakelin of England in the semifinals.