Following the conclusion of the Snooker Shoot-Out on Sunday, the 16 players who will contest the 2019 Players Championship has been confirmed.
Four players stood a chance of forcing their way into contention but each required the title in Watford and the £32,000 champion’s cheque in order to do so.
Zhao Xintong’s exit in the last 32 ensured that there would be no change to the line-up, with Stephen Maguire holding onto the last lucrative ticket.
Mark Allen is the top seed for the second leg of the inaugural Coral Cup, with the event getting under way in Preston next week.
The Northern Irishman has accumulated the most earnings from ranking events so far this season with more than £350,000 in his back pocket.
Allen, who meets Maguire in the first round at the Guild Hall, captured the International Championship and Scottish Open titles earlier in the campaign.
Only three members of the current top 16 in the official world rankings failed to qualify for the 2019 Players Championship.
Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy, and Luca Brecel miss out after experiencing disappointing seasons up until this point.
The likes of defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, world number one Mark Selby, and the in-form Judd Trump will all be chasing the £125,000 top prize, though.
Trump won the first tournament of the Coral Cup series a few weeks ago when he beat Ali Carter to claim the World Grand Prix trophy.
Should the 29 year-old emerge victorious in both the 2019 Players Championship and the upcoming Tour Championship, which will feature only the top eight on the one-year money list, he would receive an additional bonus worth £125,000.
Trump faces European Masters champion Jimmy Robertson in the opening round.
O’Sullivan and Selby, meanwhile, are in the same quarter of the draw and could face each other in the second round if they first overcome their initial challenges of Barry Hawkins and John Higgins respectively.
Carter’s reward for reaching the final in Cheltenham was a berth in this tournament and the “Captain” will face world champion Mark Williams in the last 16.
Kyren Wilson entertains Jack Lisowski, Neil Robertson plays close friend Joe Perry, and Stuart Bingham battles with David Gilbert in the other fixtures.
All of the matches are the best of 11 frames until the final, which takes place over the longer best of 19 frames.
2019 Players Championship (Last 16)
Mark Allen (1) vs Stephen Maguire (16)
David Gilbert (8) vs Stuart Bingham (9)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (5) vs Barry Hawkins (12)
Mark Selby (4) vs John Higgins (13)
Neil Robertson (3) vs Joe Perry (14)
Mark Williams (6) vs Ali Carter (11)
Kyren Wilson (7) vs Jack Lisowski (10)
Judd Trump (2) vs Jimmy Robertson (15)
