Wu Yize v Ishpreet Singh Chadha live stream | English Open semi-final preview
Yize is eyeing his first ranking final (PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)
Wu Yize goes head to head with Ishpreet Singh Chadha in a battle of this week’s surprise packages for a place in the English Open final.
The first semi-final of this season’s maiden Home Nations event will be contested by two less familiar names at Brentwood Centre on Saturday, with Neil Robertson or Chris Wakelin awaiting the winner in Sunday’s showpiece.
Nevertheless, they have both certainly earned the right to make it this far. Between them, they have taken out four former World champions to stand within two victories over lifting the Steve Davis trophy.
Yize is appearing in his second ranking semi-final, matching his run to the same stage of last season’s Wuhan Open.
The Chinese had already defeated the likes of Stuart Bingham, Ali Carter and Ben Woollaston, before dethroning reigning champion Judd Trump in the quarter-finals.
Yize set his stall out with a break of 108 in the opening frame, and held his nerve with a run of 62 in the final frame to get over the line a 5-3 winner.
Meanwhile, Singh Chadha continued his ground-breaking run in the most dramatic fashion against Mark Selby in the last eight.
The Indian, who is in only his second season as a professional, had already beaten former World champion Graeme Dott and last season’s Crucible finalist Jak Jones from 3-1 down, and hit breaks of 73 and 114 on the way to a 4-1 advantage over the Jester.
Singh Chadha appeared to have missed the boat when Selby rallied to force a decider, in which he established a 63-8 lead. However, the Indian reduced the deficit and then produced a nerveless 41 clearance to snatch a remarkable victory on the black.
Ironically, the only previous meeting between the players came in this event 12 months ago, with Yize prevailing a commanding 4-0 winner. However, this encounter carries much greater significance, with a first ranking final appearance at stake.
The match gets under way at 1pm BST on Saturday and will be contested over the best of 11 frames at Brentwood Centre.
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