All-Chinese Semifinals at World Grand Prix

For the first time in the history of professional snooker ranking events, all four semifinalists at the World Grand Prix hail from China, underscoring the nation's rising dominance in the sport. The milestone comes as the tournament reaches its penultimate stage at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, with matches scheduled for Saturday.

The semifinals pit Zhang Anda against Zhou Yuelong at 5:00 p.m. GMT, followed by world champion Zhao Xintong facing Xiao Guodong at 11:00 p.m. GMT. A victory in the final would net the champion 180,000 pounds from a total prize pot of 700,000 pounds. Defending champion Neil Robertson exited in the second round, ensuring a new winner.

The all-Chinese lineup emerged from tense quarterfinals on Friday. Zhang Anda advanced with a 5-2 victory over compatriot Wu Yize, highlighted by a highest break of 135 in the later frames. The 32-year-old, who slipped outside the top 16 rankings late last year after points deductions from his 2023 International Championship win, has shown resurgence. He previously defeated Mark Williams and Barry Hawkins en route to the last eight.

Zhou Yuelong joined him by edging England's Ali Carter 5-4 in a match decided by a...