Snooker Results: Players Championship reaches semi-finals at Telford International Centre
The Players Championship has reached the semi-final stage at the Telford International Centre, leaving four players in contention as the event advances toward a conclusion. These snooker results matter because the last four feature a mix of recent form and established champions, with three former Players Championship winners alongside the reigning world champion.
Field composition and tournament logistics
The tournament began with a 16-player field drawn from the one-year rankings and has produced a particularly strong final four. The event’s scores, schedule and prize money remain central to the coverage of the Players Championship 2026, though specific prize figures are unclear in the provided context. One separate headline titled "Verifying Device" appears in the material but is unclear in the provided context.
Higgins v Trump: a rivalry renewed
John Higgins and Judd Trump will renew a rivalry that effectively dates back to the 2011 World Championship final in Sheffield. Trump, the world number one and 36 years old, returns to the latter stages on the back of a German Masters success that ended a rare 14-month title drought. That return to winning form has reinforced his standing at the top of the game.
Higgins, approaching 51, was not initially among the 16 qualifiers, having reached the cut-off in 17th place. Ronnie O’Sullivan’s decision not to enter the event promoted Higgins into the lineup, and the 2021 champion has taken full advantage, beating Neil Robertson and Chris Wakelin to reach the last four. Their most recent head-to-head saw Higgins prevail 6-5 in a thriller at Alexandra Palace, and a similarly tight contest is a real possibility.
Higgins has also shown strong season form, having impressed en route to the final of the Masters in January. Higgins has publicly stated that Trump should be regarded as snooker’s main flag bearer, underlining the mutual respect that frames this fixture.
Zhao Xintong against Mark Allen in the other semi
Zhao Xintong, 28, makes up the other side of the semi-final draw. Zhao won his first title as a world champion at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and added a World Grand Prix victory a couple of weeks ago, signaling a return to form. He survived an early scare in Telford, recovering from a 5-2 deficit to Elliot Slessor and prevailing in a deciding frame in the first round. Zhao then fired substantial breaks to beat Shaun Murphy 6-3 in the quarter-finals.
His semi-final opponent is Mark Allen, who entered the tournament as a 20/1 outsider despite having won the Players Championship only a couple of years ago. Allen’s past success in this event presents a clear challenge for Zhao, who has combined late-season momentum with resilience in tight matches.
Concurrent developments: Yuan’s upset and O’Sullivan on Wu
Outside Telford, other headlines underline the shifting landscape of the sport. Yuan sank world No. 1 Judd Trump in a Hong Kong upset, a result listed among recent coverage. Separately, Ronnie O’Sullivan has heaped praise on a young player named Wu, calling him "This kid is really special" and suggesting he is a future "world champion. " These items sit alongside the Players Championship storyline and reflect broader movement in form and opinion across the calendar.
What makes this notable is the convergence of established names and in-form challengers: three former Players Championship winners remain in contention alongside the reigning world champion, while recent upsets and endorsements illustrate that momentum can shift quickly. The immediate causal threads are straightforward — Higgins’s late entry into the field, prompted by O’Sullivan’s absence, directly enabled his run to the semi-finals; Zhao’s comeback from 5-2 down produced the decisive frame wins that carried him onward; and Trump’s German Masters victory ended a 14-month drought and has helped sustain his position at the top of the rankings.
Fans following snooker results will now turn attention to the semi-final schedule at the Telford International Centre as the tournament moves toward its climax and as organizers continue to post scores, schedule details and prize-money information for the Players Championship 2026.
