Date: 30 March-5 April 2009 Venue: Beijing University Students Gymnasium
Coverage: Results and reports on the BBC Sport website
 Trump also failed to qualify for the World Championship |
Judd Trump suffered a shock defeat by local Chinese wildcard Tang Jun as he failed to reach the first round proper of the China Open in Beijing. The Bristol teenager, up to 30 in the provisional world rankings, lost 5-3 to Tang, who will next play Peter Ebdon. Liverpool professional Rod Lawler was also beaten 5-3 by another Chinese wildcard, Yu Delu, who will go on to meet Graeme Dott in the first round. But two other English players, Ricky Walden and Stuart Pettman, both won. Walden set up a first-round meeting with Joe Perry after easing past another wildcard, Cao Kaisheng, 5-0, while Pettman beat Cao Yupeng 5-2.  | If I can win another tournament this season I'll be over the moon |
Walden, 26, was a surprise winner of the Shanghai Open in October when he beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-8 in the final. Having come through final qualifying for the Crucible, the Englishman, up to 23 in the provisional rankings after starting the season at 35, is optimistic of more success either in Beijing or Sheffield, where he will make his World Championship debut, against Mark Selby. "I've got two tournaments to play in and I'm going to try to win them. I'm going there to win the tournaments," Walden said. "I don't really look at the rankings, I just go to win tournaments, and if I can win another tournament this season I'll be over the moon. | 606: DEBATE |
"There's two left obviously and I'm going to have a good go at both of them and see where I finish." Welshman Mark Williams begins his China Open campaign against Mark King on Wednesday with more modest ambitions. The two-time world champion has fought his way back to number 14 in the provisional rankings after dropping out of the elite top 16 at the end of last season. He is hoping to make progress in Beijing to avoid heading to the Crucible knowing he would need to beat Stephen Hendry, who he faces in the first round, to retain his place for next season. "My aim is to win one or two matches in China now to guarantee my top-16 place so I don't have to go to Sheffield having to win one match," Williams said. "There's enough pressure as it is without knowing you have to win one, so fingers crossed."
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