 Cao akakwanisa kupinda mumutambo wechipiri wemwaka uno, weAustralia Goldfields Open, nekukunda Paul Davison, Alfie Burden naMike Dunn vese ne52 scorelines. Akagamuchira bye mumutambo wekupedzisira nekuda kwekubviswa kwaAnthony Hamilton, uye akabva apinda mumutambo wewild-card uchipesana naJohl Younger kamwe muAustralia kuti asvike kumakumi matatu nemaviri ekupedzisira. Akatarisana naAli Carter ndokumhanya achienda mberi na40, asati atarisana nekurwisa, pakupedzisira achienderera mberi kuhwina na53. Cao akarohwa 54 naMartin Gould munharaunda yechipiri, pasina kumbove nechinhu chinopfuura chimiro pakati pevatambi. Akaita 143 break muframe yechitanhatu, yakanakisisa mubasa rake kusvikira zvino. Mwedzi mumwe gare gare, Cao akakunda mitambo mitatu yokugadzirira kusvika kuInternational Championship, rakatambwa muChengdu, munyika yokumusha kwake. Akabvisa Wang Yuchen mumutambo we wild-card, asati arova mukwikwidzi wenyika kanokwana kana John Higgins mumutambo wokutanga, kuti agadzire mutambo wokudzokorora naMark Allen, zvichitevera kurwisana kwavo pakupera kwemwaka wapfuura. Akanga ari Allen uyo akakunda nguva ino, nokukunda 62. 