"Moo Paknam" narrowly defeated "Joe Yu Long" in a thrilling 6-5 frame victory to reach the final of the Snooker China Open 2026 at Riverside Sports Center, China.
On 15 Aug 2026 GMT+7, the professional world snooker tournament China Open 2026, with a total prize fund of £1,205,000 (approximately 54 million baht), was held from 8-16 August 2026 at Riverside Sports Center in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, China.
In the semifinals, “Moo Paknam” Noppon Saengkham, ranked 45th in the world from Thailand, faced Joe Yu Long, ranked 22nd from China. In their previous seven meetings, the Thai player held the advantage, winning four times, including victories in the last three matches despite being lower ranked.
The result was a narrow 6-5 win for “Moo Paknam” Noppon Saengkham over Joe Yu Long, allowing him to advance to the final in a somewhat surprising outcome. This marks his second appearance in a professional world final, following the 2023 Scottish Open, and his first chance to win a professional world title. He will face the winner of the match between Mark Selby, ranked 9th, and Stuart Bingham, ranked 21st, both from England, in tomorrow's final.