The 2026 World Snooker Tour China Open got underway on Saturday at the Taiyuan Binhe Sports Center in north China's Shanxi Province, with a record 12 Chinese participants among the 32 competitors in the main draw, which features all of the top 16 players in the world rankings.

China's Liu Linhao and Wu Shengguang were eliminated in the first round during the morning session, falling 6-0 to Iran's Hossein Vafaei and Scotland's Anthony McGill, respectively.

In the afternoon session, England's David Gilbert upset China's Ding Junhui 6-1 to advance to the last 16, while home hope Zhou Yuelong stunned Welsh veteran Mark Williams 6-3.

Later on Saturday, Wu Yize edged Chinese compatriot Yao Pengcheng 6-5, while Liu Hongyu shocked England's Barry Hawkins 6-4.

The tournament runs through August 16, with matches played under a best-of-11 format through the semifinals, while the championship final will be contested over two sessions in a best-of-19 format.

The Chinese contingent's record representation marks a milestone for the tournament, with 12 home players taking part in the main draw for the first time.

The China Open is a World Snooker Tour (WST) ranking event sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), with matches in the first round continuing on Sunday.