Snooker Results: snooker results and semi-finals at Players Championship 2026
snooker results from the Players Championship 2026 show a final four assembled at the Telford International Centre as the event reaches its conclusion. Four players remain in the hunt after a field that boasted 16 players drawn from the one-year rankings.
Snooker Results: semi-finals at Telford
The tournament moves to two semi-final fixtures to come, with three former Players Championship winners still involved in addition to the reigning world champion, who is simultaneously on course to make it back-to-back ranking triumphs on the calendar. The draw produces John Higgins against Judd Trump in one semi-final and Zhao Xintong against Mark Allen in the other.
Higgins v Trump: rivalry renewed
John Higgins and Judd Trump renew a friendly rivalry that effectively dates back to the 2011 World Championship final in Sheffield. Their history includes multiple Crucible finals and the latest affair at the Alexandra Palace, where Higgins prevailed from a 6-5 thriller. Higgins has not shied from praising Trump, claiming that Trump should be regarded over everyone else as snooker's main flag bearer.
Zhao v Mark Allen preview
Zhao Xintong, the 28 year-old, represents one of the most obvious players in form this season. Zhao won his first title as a world champion with his triumph at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and followed that by being back near his best during his World Grand Prix victory a couple of weeks ago. Next up for the Chinese competitor is Mark Allen, who came into this tournament as a 20/1 outsider despite having won the event only a couple of years ago.
Paths to the last four
Higgins was not originally supposed to be in the Players Championship, reaching the cut-off point for qualification in 17th position but then promoted into the lineup on the back of Ronnie O'Sullivan's decision not to enter. The 2021 champion has made the most of his chance, with wins over Neil Robertson and Chris Wakelin taking him through to the last four. Trump, the world No. 1 and the 36 year-old who ended a rare 14-month title drought with success at the German Masters, backed up a thrashing of Zhou Yuelong with a 6-3 defeat of Mark Williams in the quarter-finals.
Hong Kong upset and O'Sullivan praise
Elsewhere in recent action, Yuan sinks world No. 1 Trump in a Hong Kong upset, underscoring the volatile nature of the season. Ronnie O'Sullivan has also weighed in on emerging talent, saying "This kid is really special" and heaping praise on future 'world champion' Wu.
In Telford, Zhao recovered from a scare in his opening match, having trailed Elliot Slessor 5-2 in the first round before fighting back to emerge from a deciding frame, and he then fired in plenty of nice breaks to beat Shaun Murphy 6-3 in the last eight. The semi-finals therefore pair a storied rivalry against a contrasting matchup between a recent world champion and a former event winner.
The Players Championship 2026 at the Telford International Centre now narrows to its last two matches as the four contenders chase the title.
