World number two Mark Selby progressed through the opening round of the English Open in Brentwood on Tuesday, joining fellow top-ranked players Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Wu Yize and Barry Hawkins in securing victories.
Selby's path to the second round proved competitive against fellow Englishman Ricky Walden, with the match reaching a deciding frame. After establishing a 2-1 lead courtesy of breaks totalling 246 points across frames two and three, Selby found himself trailing 3-2. He recovered to claim the seventh frame with a break of 69, securing a 4-3 victory.
Trump delivered a dominant performance against Northern Ireland's Jordan Brown, winning 4-0 without dropping a frame. Wales' Mark Williams also progressed by defeating Thailand's Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon.
The top-10 contingent completed a successful opening day when Wu Yize and Barry Hawkins both emerged victorious. Wu defeated Chinese opponent Yang Gao 4-1, while Hawkins proved too strong for fellow Chinese player Lyu Haotin, winning 4-2.
Trump has shown strong form recently, having won the Shanghai Masters for a second time in July 2026, though he suffered a setback at the China Open in August when he was defeated 6-3 by Thailand's Noppon Saengkham.
Second round matchups
The draw has set up intriguing contests for the next stage. Selby will face China's Zhang Anda, while Trump takes on Ashley Carty. Williams meets Matthew Selt, Wu faces compatriot Xu Si, and Hawkins will play the winner of the Gary Wilson versus Daniel Wells encounter.
