Moo Paknam Reaches China Open Final With Century Break
Thai player Moo Paknam reached the China Open final with a dramatic 134-point century break in the deciding frame to beat China's Joe Yuu Long 6-5, securing at least 4.4 million baht in prize money.
Thai snooker player Moo Paknam (Noppol Saengkham), ranked 45th globally, defeated Chinese player Joe Yuu Long with a 134-point century break in the deciding frame to reach the final of the 2026 China Open, guaranteeing prize money of 4.4 million baht. The world professional snooker championship event runs from August 8-16, 2026, at Riverside Sport Center in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China, with total prize purse of 1,205,000 pounds (approximately 53 million baht). On August 15, the semi-final match saw Paknam, who has impressively defeated three top-ranked players consecutively, face Joe Yuu Long, ranked 22nd in the world. Paknam opened with a 2-0 lead before Yuu Long equalized 2-2. Paknam then pulled ahead 5-3, but Yuu Long again tied it 5-5, forcing a decisive final frame. Paknam sealed the victory with a spectacular 134-point century break, winning 6-5 and advancing to the championship match with guaranteed earnings of 4.4 million baht. The China Open marks a return to the World Snooker Tour calendar after being absent since 2019 and ranks among the highest prize tournaments of the season, with the champion receiving 250,000 pounds and the runner-up 50,000 pounds.
