Defending champion Shaun Murphy was knocked out of the British Open after a 4-2 second-round defeat to David Gilbert in Cheltenham.
Gilbert opened the match with a 117 break to claim the first frame. Murphy then reeled off two strong responses, compiling breaks of 64 and 103 to move ahead. Gilbert regained control by producing three successive half-century visits to close out the match and secure his place in the last 32 in Cheltenham. Murphy is ranked seventh in the world.
The tournament produced several other notable results. New world number one Zhao Xintong withstood a resurgence from Wales's Daniel Wells, who had trailed 3-0, as Zhao advanced 4-2. Judd Trump recovered from a deficit to beat Ricky Walden 4-2, delivering breaks of 96 and 87 during his comeback.
China's Bai Yulu lost a narrow last-frame decider to Ross Muir, despite threatening to win after a 59 break. John Higgins edged Noppon Saengkham 4-3 in a tight contest, while Stan Moody defeated Yao Pengcheng 4-1.
Mark Selby produced two last-frame victories in one day, first against Lei Peifan in the morning session, then repeating the outcome against Jackson Page in the evening third-round match. Selby's double wins moved him through to the next stage of the event.
The British Open field now shapes up for the later stages in Cheltenham, with established names eliminated and several top seeds surviving close tests. Gilbert’s win removes the reigning champion from the draw and hands him a place among the last 32 as the event progresses.
