A key result at the 2026 Tour Championship saw Thepchaiya Un-Nooh lose 8–10 to Barry Hawkins, allowing Ding Junhui to secure his top-16 ranking and World Championship seed.
This outcome marks a historic milestone for Chinese snooker, with five seeded players — Zhao Xintong, Xiao Guodong, Wu Yize, Si Jiahui, and Ding.
Despite Un-Nooh’s recent 147 break and victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan, he fell short again against Hawkins.
Chinese snooker now reaches a new peak, with record representation among the seeds.
