Xiao Guodong v Long Zehuang live stream | Wuhan Open Semi-Final preview
Xiao faces fellow home favourite Long for a place in the final (Zhai Zheng/Xinhua/Alamy Live News)
Xiao Guodong and Long Zehuang lock horns in a battle of the local favourites on Friday for a place in the Wuhan Open final.
The home fans will have split loyalties at the China Optics Valley Convention & Exhibition Center (COVCEC), where a Chinese finalist is guaranteed on Saturday.
This is unfamiliar territory for Xiao, who is appearing in his seventh ranking semi-final and first since last year’s British Open. Although, it is completely uncharted for his opponent, as second-year pro Long prepares for the biggest match of his short career.
Those greater levels of experience at this stage make world number 29 Xiao the favourite to reach his third ranking final.
It would be his first since the 2017 Shoot Out, when he was pipped to the title by Anthony McGill.
A quarter-finalist at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters last month, Xiao has built on that momentum with a week of impressive scalps on the way to the last four.
Having already beaten reigning World champion Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins, he then hit three successive centuries on the way to a dominant 5-1 victory over Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals.
Long has also chalked up some impressive wins en route to his first ranking semi-final.
The world number 70 set the tone by defeating Mark Selby during the qualifying round, and has followed that up by seeing off Jackson Page and a resurgent Ben Woollaston, before putting Jack Lisowski to the sword 5-1 in the last eight.
Local hero Long, who originates from Wuhan, has been cheered on by his family this week, and they will be in fine voice once more as they aim to inspire him to continue his fairy-tale run.
A showdown with either Judd Trump or Si Jiahui is the prize on offer to whoever prevails from this mouth-watering encounter.
The match gets under way at 7am BST (2pm local time) on Friday and will be contested over the best of 11 frames at the COVCEC.
WATCH THE WUHAN OPEN STREAMED LIVE HERE
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