PREVIEW: 2019 World Open

It feels like a while since we had a ranking event in China, yet it’s barely been a month. We are back in China again! This time, we are in Yushan, where players try and sniff out a ranking title with their name on it!

Snooker Bay

It will be interesting what Yushan will be like this time around. I remember last year when there were plans to make Yushan a snooker and billiards city. A lot of money (£170 million according to The Times) is being poured into a project called ‘Snooker Bay’, which will include a bespoke arena, a museum, a sports academy and a village dedicated to athletes of cue sports. This vision is organised by long-term partner Xing Pai Group, a Chinese conglomerate engaged in the sports, real estate and investment business. They also happen to supply of snooker tables too.

For more information of the developments, please click here.

Some Random Talk

There aren’t too many back stories during the World Open. This is excluding the fact that a title and ranking points are up for grabs, but that’s in every event. Ronnie O’Sullivan will be playing and will be relieved that he won’t have to play in Crawley for another year at least. But Mark Williams, who stormed back from 9-5 down to win 10-9 to beat David Gilbert in the final last season, will not be defending his title in Yushan.

Also, this will be the THIRD time Kyren Wilson and Robbie Williams meet up this season in China. Not just that, but each of their three meetings this season was at the exactly same Last-64 stage. At this rate, Robbie Williams may struggle to stay on tour because he can’t beat Kyren Wilson!

However, there is a story of the Champion of Champions. This is now the last opportunity for anyone to qualify for the lucrative non-ranking event in Coventry. Fifteen spots are now filled in that tournament. The most recent qualifier was Mark Selby, who annihilated Gilbert 9-1 to win the English Open. Looks like he has come out of a bad patch at long last!

So what happens now? Two things can happen. If a player who hasn’t qualified for the Champion of Champions wins the World Open, they will take the final spot. However, if any of the fifteen qualifiers capture the trophy instead, Jimmy White will participate in the Champion of Champions instead. Why? He is the 2019 World Seniors Champion and a different winner altogether and the World Seniors Championship is ranked lower than the World Open. As Jimmy lost in the qualifiers to Anthony Hamilton, he will be waiting in England, far away from Yushan, with bated breath.