Chinese teams maintain perfect start to World Cup

In Group D, Scotland got their tournament back on track with a 4-1 defeat of Israel.

Four-time world champion John Higgins and Anthony McGill were one of the favorites going into the World Cup, after reaching the final in 2015. But they suffered a shock loss to Thailand on the opening day and have struggled to find momentum, squeezing past Cyprus 3-2.

John Higgins of Scotland competes in the match against Israel in the 2017 Snooker World Cup in Wuxi, China, on July 5. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Northern Ireland made sure they stayed top of Group D with a 3-2 victory over Thailand. Veterans Mark Allen and Joe Swail made breaks of 65, 104, 56 and 76 to secure victory in a tough match.

England is another strong favorite to win the World Cup, as world number three Judd Trump and world number six Barry Hawkins are the highest-ranked pair in Wuxi this year. They have lived up to the hype so far, winning 13 of their first 15 frames.

Judd Trump of England competes in his match against Iran in the 2017 Snooker World Cup in Wuxi, China, on July 5. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

They beat Iran 4-1 to stay top of Group C, though it was not all plain sailing for the English team. They had to overcome some dogged tactical play by Iran’s Hossein Vafaei and Soheil Vahedi in the doubles frame, which lasted over an hour.

Australia also looks in good shape to qualify for the quarterfinals after winning 4-1 against Switzerland. Former world champion Neil Robertson was the mastermind of the victory, winning all three frames he was involved in and making breaks of 82 and 105.