Zhou Yuelong Breezes Through Group 13 as Bingham Suffers Shock Championship League Exit
Zhou Makes His Move — Bingham Makes an Early Exit
Zhou Yuelong is through to Stage Two of the 2026/27 Championship League Snooker after an impressive unbeaten run through Group 13 in Leicester on Monday. The Chinese star posted seven points from a possible nine at the Mattioli Arena, brushing aside Allan Taylor and Ben Mertens 3-1 apiece while sharing the spoils 2-2 with Liam Graham — enough to finish a comfortable two points clear of Graham and seal his place in the next phase.
It was an encouraging start for Zhou, who remains one of the most compelling what-ifs in world snooker. Four ranking event runner-up finishes and still no title to his name — that's the frustrating story of a player who at 28 years old absolutely has the game to go all the way. The Championship League, played behind closed doors and built around short-format frames, arguably suits a player of his quality down to the ground. If there's ever a tournament where a technically gifted but as-yet-untitled competitor can break through without the weight of a packed arena bearing down on him, this is it. Watch him closely as the tournament progresses.
Bingham Stunned — Joyce the Story of Group 11
While Zhou was cruising, former world champion Stuart Bingham endured a miserable afternoon in Group 11. The 2015 world champion, who at his peak climbed to world number two, could manage only a pair of 2-2 draws and was eliminated from the tournament — a result that will sting given the quality he's capable of producing.
The real headline from Group 11, though, was Mark Joyce. The 42-year-old Englishman came into the draw as one of the invited amateur top-ups, the kind of wildcard addition that's easy to overlook — but Joyce made absolutely sure nobody was ignoring him by Monday evening. Back-to-back victories over Bingham and Jordan Brown put him on six points before his final match had even been played, meaning progression was already secured. He lost that last fixture to Mateusz Baranowski, but it was entirely irrelevant. Joyce heads through to Stage Two in what is comfortably one of the stories of the tournament so far.
What's Coming Up — Key Groups to Watch
With only a handful of days remaining in Stage One, the action is building nicely. Tuesday brings Group 6, which features Si Jiahui — one of only four top-16 seeds in the entire draw — alongside Marco Fu, Xu Yichen, and Sean Maddocks. Si will be expected to advance, but Fu is the kind of seasoned operator who can cause problems on any given day.
Elsewhere, Group 26 sees Matthew Stevens headline following the withdrawal of Tom Ford. Stevens is joined by Cheung Ka Wai, Ashley Carty, and George Pragnell. The Welshman, still a recognisable name from snooker's golden television era, will be looking to make the most of the opportunity.
It's worth remembering what's at stake for whoever lifts the trophy on 15th July. The champion takes home £33,000 in prize money and ranking points, plus a coveted invitation to the Champion of Champions later in the season — one of snooker's most prestigious and well-paid invitationals. That's a significant incentive for everyone still in the draw.
How to Watch
All the action from Leicester is available to UK and Ireland viewers free of charge on the Matchroom Multi Sport and Matchroom Pool YouTube channels. Given this is the first ranking event of the new 2026/27 season, it's well worth tuning in — form lines are being drawn and tournament narratives are beginning to take shape.
Zhou Yuelong advancing with a swagger is an early marker worth noting. If he keeps this up, the bookmakers may want to revisit his outright odds sooner rather than later.
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