Defending champion Xiao Guodong held his nerve to retain the WST Wuhan Open, edging Gary Wilson 10-9 in a tense final.

The match, played over two sessions in a best‑of‑19, began with Xiao racing to a 2-0 lead. The middle of the opening session saw both players trade runs before the Englishman compiled a superb 116 in the ninth to leave Xiao 5-4 ahead at the interval.

The second session saw the Englishman surge ahead with two centuries, taking an 8-6 lead after 14 frames. Xiao answered in emphatic fashion, rattling off three frames in a row to move within one of the title. Not to be outdone, Wilson forced a decider with a resilient 52 in the eighteenth. 

The final frame was nail-biting. Xiao went on a run of 48 to gain the upper hand, Wilson then landed a snooker during a safety exchange but, in a cruel twist, fluffed an otherwise routine red shortly afterwards, handing Xiao the opening he needed. 

The Chinese then composed himself and closed out the decider to complete a 10-9 victory, denying Wilson a first ranking title outside the UK. Xiao's only previous ranking title came in the same event a year ago and this back-to-back win in Wuhan lifts the veteran to a career‑high eighth in the world rankings, with Wilson moving up to 16th. 

"I think this was the best final I've ever played, and the most pressure I've ever felt because it went to a decider," said Xiao. "In this match, I pushed myself to find my potential, committed to attack, and tried to play each shot properly. To come through and win, I knew it wasn't easy."