The last eight in the Championship League Snooker draw will vye for the ranking title on Friday in Leicester.
After almost five weeks of action, a champion will finally be crowned at the Morningside Arena – the first for the new 2022/23 campaign.
A total of 128 players have been whittled down to the final eight following 40 round-robin groups spread out across a month’s play.
In Stage Three of the competition, two final mini leagues of four will produce the two remaining group winners, who will subsequently face off against each other for the title.
Among the eight contenders left in the event, there are five Chinese cueists hoping to seal glroy, with four of those bidding for a maiden ranking title.
Zhao Xintong, the UK and German Masters champion from last season, is in Group 2 alongside Xiao Guodong, Lyu Haotian, and Luca Brecel.
Like Zhao, the latter is also within touching distance of a third career ranking title after picking up his second last term at the Scottish Open.
Both Xiao and Lyu have experienced reaching a ranking event final before but have never managed to raise the trophy aloft.
In Group 1, Lu Ning and Pang Junxu are hoping to etch their names onto silverware for the first time in their professional careers.
Standing in their way will be experienced English duo Stuart Bingham and Ricky Walden.
Bingham won this tournament under its invitational guise in 2015 and is challenging for a seventh ranking title, while Walden is looking for his fourth.
The player who emerges from the Championship League draw as the champion on Friday evening will pocket £33,000.
| Group 1 |
| Lu Ning |
| Ricky Walden |
| Pang Junxu |
| Stuart Bingham |
| Group 2 |
| Xiao Guodong |
| Luca Brecel |
| Lyu Haotian |
| Zhao Xintong |
Live coverage is available on FreeSports and Matchroom.Live in the UK and Ireland, and by various other means around the world.
Click here to view the draw (times: CET)
Featured photo credit: WST
