World Grand Prix 2021 - Martin Gould knocks top seed and UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong out in first round
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 14/12/2021 at 08:50 GMT
Just eight days on from Zhao Xintong's maiden major title at the UK Championship, the Chinese star was well beaten 4-2 as Martin Gould took the final three frames to advance at the World Grand Prix. Last year's runner-up Jack Lisowski beat Mark Williams 4-3 while Anthony Hamilton won by the same score against Kyren Wilson.
Martin Gould
Image credit: Getty Images
Top seed Zhao Xintong was dumped out of the first round of the World Grand Prix by a fighting performance from Martin Gould.
The UK Championship winner was beaten 4-2 as Gould came from behind to secure a fine victory.
Gould had reached the quarter-finals of the competition last year, but only just squeezed in to this year's edition as the 32nd and last qualifier after reaching the third round of the Scottish Open.
But the 40-year-old Englishman made folly of his lowly seeding, knocking in his highest break of the match (79) to seal victory.
Zhao took the first of two extremely scrappy frames to start the match, Gould levelling proceedings just before the hour-mark of an error-prone contest.
The Chinese star, high on confidence just eight days on from the signature triumph of his career so far, found cleaner cueing in frame three, producing a delightful 101 to take a 2-1 lead.
Yet Gould hit back, producing two contributions including a 75 to drawn back even and then going ahead for the first time in the match after winning the fifth frame.
And after an error from Zhao early in what proved to be the final frame, Gould put together a last salvo of 79 to seal the last three frames and the match and a statement victory.
Gould will face Yan Bingtao in the Round of 16 after he sealed a 4-1 win over Mark King at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/12/13/3271059-66938448-2560-1440.png)
Top 10 shots from the Scottish Open featuring O'Sullivan, Trump, Brecel
In another encounter that began in an untidy manner, two elongated frames were shared one apiece.
Yao then edged the third, before producing the sole telling break of the match, making a lovely century to move within one frame of victory.
The reigning Masters champion duly added the requisite fourth frame to reach the second round.
The 21-year-old has never been beyond that stage at the World Grand Prix.
Last year's runner-up Jack Lisowski beat Mark Williams 4-3 while Anthony Hamilton won by the same score against Kyren Wilson.
From 2-1 down, Williams knocked in breaks of 117 and 77 to move ahead, but Lisowski replied with back-to-back breaks of 74 and 94 to win the match.
Hamilton also won the last two frames of the match to beat Wilson.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2770.png)
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2208.png)