China's 2025 world champion Zhao Xintong stormed into the semifinals at the World Snooker Tour Shanghai Masters, following a stunning 6-0 victory against Australia's 2010 world champion, Neil Robertson, in front of an enthusiastic home crowd on Thursday.

Last year, Zhao made history by becoming the first Asian player to clinch the world title at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. This season has been impressive in its own right. Earlier this year, the World No. 3 sank his first official 147 maximum break in the Championship League, before making headlines as the first player to win all three Players Series events in a single campaign.

Facing World No. 2 Robertson, Zhao put together an unyielding performance, on his way to closing out the match with century runs of 117 and 102. After reaching the last four for the second consecutive season, the 29-year-old will face England's Kyren Wilson next.

Adding to the excitement for the home fans, Zhao's compatriot Wu Yize, recently crowned as China's second world champion, also triumphed in a thrilling contest, edging Shaun Murphy 6-5 in an encounter that mirrored their final at the Crucible two months earlier. The 22-year-old initially led 3-1 with breaks of 98, 65 and 60, before Murphy mounted a ferocious comeback to level the match at 4-4.

In the deciding frame, with Murphy leading 62-29, the Englishman's unexpected miss on a red ball presented Wu with a golden opportunity. Seizing the moment, he cleared the table and finished by calmly rolling in the black ball, sealing another nerve-wracking victory over the man nicknamed "The Magician." The World No. 4 will meet another English potter, Judd Trump, in what promises to be an exciting semifinal clash.