Chris Wakelin Defeats Xiao Guodong to Secure Spot in Final

Chris Wakelin triumphed 9-8 over Xiao Guodong in a thrilling final-frame decider to reach the final of the International Championship in Nanjing. The Englishman took a 5-3 lead after the first session and extended his advantage to 8-5, but his form slipped, allowing China’s Xiao to level the match in a tense finish. However, Wakelin stayed calm and sealed victory with a composed break of 67 in the decider.

This win secured Wakelin a spot in Sunday’s final where he will face either Ding Junhui or Xu Si. It also earned him a place in the top 16 of the world rankings for the first time, meaning he will be seeded for the upcoming UK Championship later this month. The 32-year-old, a former supermarket delivery driver had a strong run in the tournament, scoring eight half-centuries and a century.

He admitted the match was one of the toughest of his life, especially after squandering his 8-5 lead. “I threw it away, made ridiculous mistakes,” he said. “In the decider, I knew it was now or never, so I had to forget about what had happened.” Chris Wakelin, who has already defeated three former world champions—Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams and John Higgins—throughout the tournament will now appear in only the third ranking event final of his career.

Reflecting on the win, he added, “I’ve worked my entire life for moments like this,” and expressed relief at having a day off before the final.