The line-up for the 2019 Champion of Champions is complete following Michael Holt’s exit from the World Open on Friday in Yushan.
One more place needed to be filled in the 16-man field and Holt was the last player remaining in China who hadn’t already qualified via a previous triumph on the tour over the course of the last twelve months.
Judd Trump beat Holt 5-1 to reach the last four, where he is joined by John Higgins, Kyren Wilson, and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
All four had already been assured of their spots at the Ricoh Arena next week in Coventry.
As a result, the lucrative and prestigious invitational will now definitely also feature Jimmy White.
After Ronnie O’Sullivan claimed the Shanghai Masters crown, White was the next in line to seal his berth following his World Seniors Championship victory in August.
Shaun Murphy’s subsequent triumph in the International Championship and Mark Selby’s win in the English Open – two players who hadn’t previously qualified – suddenly put the 57 year-old’s place in doubt.
But the “Wind” will now definitely be blowing through the West Midlands when the action gets under way on Monday.
His opponent will be none other than O’Sullivan himself – a three-time winner of the Champion of Champions and the reigning king of Coventry.
O’Sullivan and White are close pals off the table and regularly work alongside each other as pundits for Eurosport.
But their rivalry on the table dates back almost three decades and there has been several classic encounters between the pair.
In a race to just four frames in the first round, it’s hardly going to rival any of their bigger battles but it’ll still be interesting to see whether White can roll back the years for what probably is his last hurrah on a big occasion on the Main Tour.
The 2019 Champion of Champions also features women’s world champion Reanne Evans for the first time.
Evans’ reward is a first round tie against Murphy, who memorably etched his name onto the trophy at O’Sullivan’s expense two years ago.
World number one Trump, meanwhile, faces Stephen Maguire with the latter’s World Cup winning partner John Higgins in action against Stuart Bingham – who he has just beaten in the quarter-finals of the World Open.
Un-Nooh and Wilson will also be well-acquainted after their last four clash in Asia tomorrow.
The other fixtures see Mark Selby challenged by Yan Bingtao, Martin Gould take on Neil Robertson, and Matthew Selt face Mark Allen.
Click here to view the draw (Times: CET)
🌪️The Whirlwind is in! 🌪️
Thanks to @judd147t‘s win over Michael Holt, @jimmywhite147 will play in the 2019 ManBetX @ChampOfChamps – he faces the defending champion @ronnieo147 next Thursday! 🤤
🎟️ 👉 https://t.co/DozPkZovrb #ChampOfChamps pic.twitter.com/4Sy6sfHe2O
— ChampionofChampions (@ChampOfChamps) November 1, 2019
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