The World Open qualifiers start on Monday, with one preliminary round for the returning ranking event required at the Metrodome in Barnsley.
Back on the snooker schedule for the first time since 2019, the World Open will return to Yushan in mid-March.
Judd Trump will finally get the opportunity to defend his crown, and as the top seed he has his opening fixture against Rory Thor held over to the venue stages.
World champion Luca Brecel has also had his round-of-128 encounter deferred in addition to top-ranked Chinese duo Ding Junhui and Zhang Anda.
But the likes of world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan, fresh off his success in the World Grand Prix on Sunday, and two-time former champion Mark Allen are involved this week.
O’Sullivan is expected to skip a couple of the upcoming events on the calendar but has indicated that he would like to participate in China.
The Rocket is scheduled to face Alfie Burden on Tuesday evening, while 2012 and 2013 winner Allen is in action on Wednesday against Andres Petrov.
For players in-and-around the top 16 and top 64 cut-off points, emerging successfully from the World Open qualifiers could prove vital.
That is because, aside from the 12-player Tour Championship, the World Open will be the last ranking event before the season-concluding World Championship.
By then, automatic qualification for the Crucible Theatre and tour survival battles will become more pressing matters.
World Open Draw and Results
Round of 128 (bo9)
Judd Trump 5-2 Rory Thor
Sanderson Lam 5-4 Gong Chenzhi
David Gilbert 5-0 Anton Kazakov
Fan Zhengyi 5-2 Dylan Emery
Lukas Kleckers 5-2 Jack Lisowski
Dominic Dale 5-3 Marco Fu
Stuart Carrington 5-4 Gary Wilson
David Lilley 5-3 Scott Donaldson
Jak Jones 5-3 Ryan Thomerson
Ashley Hugill 5-1 Anthony McGill
David Grace 5-2 Rebecca Kenna
Kyren Wilson 5-0 Jimmy White
Jamie Jones 5-0 Rod Lawler
Ricky Walden 5-0 Peng Yisong
Ben Woollaston 5-4 Ben Mertens
Iulian Boiko 5-1 Baipat Siripaporn
Mark Selby 5-3 Xing Zihao
Adam Duffy 5-4 Mark Davis
Si Jiahui 5-1 Stan Moody
Long Zehuang 5-4 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
John Higgins 5-1 Ross Muir
Jackson Page 5-3 Liam Graham
Zhou Yuelong 5-1 Jiang Jun
Wu Yize 5-2 Julien Leclercq
Matthew Stevens 5-3 Hammad Miah
Ryan Day 5-4 Andrew Higginson
Elliot Slessor 5-2 Reanne Evans
Zhang Anda 5-3 Allan Taylor
He Guoqiang 5-2 Jimmy Robertson
Matthew Selt 4-5 Wang Xinbo
Daniel Wells 5-1 Liam Highfield
Mark Allen 5-1 Andres Petrov
Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-3 Alfie Burden
Michael White 5-2 Haydon Pinhey
Lyu Haotian 5-2 Ashley Carty
Aaron Hill 5-4 Joe O’Connor
Robert Milkins 5-2 Barry Pinches
Sam Craigie 5-0 Ken Doherty
Hossein Vafaei 5-2 Liam Pullen
Graeme Dott 5-2 Ian Burns
Cao Yupeng 5-0 Rory McLeod
Noppon Saengkham 5-4 Himanshu Jain
Liu Hongyu 5-1 Jamie Clarke
Ding Junhui 5-3 Zak Surety
Sean O’Sullivan 5-1 Xiao Guodong
Joe Perry 5-4 Martin O’Donnell
Xu Si 5-0 Andrew Pagett
Shaun Murphy 5-0 Mohamed Ibrahim
Neil Robertson 5-0 Victor Sarkis
Tian Pengfei 5-1 Mink Nutcharut
Ishpreet Singh Chadha 5-3 Stuart Bingham
Yuan Sijun 5-3 Alexander Ursenbacher
Ali Carter 5-1 Ahmed Aly Elsayed
Louis Heatchote 5-0 Oliver Lines
Chris Wakelin 5-2 Andy Hicks
Jordan Brown 5-1 Lan Yuhao
Robbie Williams 5-3 Andy Lee
Tom Ford 5-2 Ma Hailong
Jenson Kendrick 5-3 Anthony Hamilton
Barry Hawkins 5-3 Steven Hallworth
Stephen Maguire 5-1 Mostafa Dorgham
Pang Junxu 5-2 James Cahill
Oliver Brown 5-4 Mark Joyce
Luca Brecel 5-1 Manasawin Phetmalaikul
Round of 64 (bo9)
Judd Trump 5-2 Sanderson Lam
Fan Zhengyi w/o David Gilbert
Lukas Kleckers 4-5 Dominic Dale
Stuart Carrington 4-5 David Lilley
Jak Jones 0-5 Ashley Hugill
David Grace 4-5 Kyren Wilson
Jamie Jones 4-5 Ricky Walden
Ben Woollaston w/o Iulian Boiko
Mark Selby w/o Adam Duffy
Si Jiahui 2-5 Long Zehuang
John Higgins 3-5 Jackson Page
Zhou Yuelong 1-5 Wu Yize
Matthew Stevens 5-2 Ryan Day
Elliot Slessor 5-3 Zhang Anda
He Guoqiang 5-4 Wang Xinbo
Daniel Wells 5-3 Mark Allen
Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-3 Michael White
Lyu Haotian 5-4 Aaron Hill
Robert Milkins w/o Sam Craigie
Hossein Vafaei 5-1 Graeme Dott
Cao Yupeng 5-3 Noppon Saengkham
Liu Hongyu 2-5 Ding Junhui
Sean O’Sullivan 1-5 Joe Perry
Xu Si 3-5 Shaun Murphy
Neil Robertson 5-3 Tian Pengfei
Ishpreet Singh Chadha 3-5 Yuan Sijun
Ali Carter 5-3 Louis Heathcote
Chris Wakelin 5-4 Jordan Brown
Robbie Williams 5-4 Tom Ford
Jenson Kendrick 2-5 Barry Hawkins
Stephen Maguire 5-3 Pang Junxu
Oliver Brown 2-5 Luca Brecel
Round of 32 (bo9)
Judd Trump 5-3 Fan Zhengyi
Dominic Dale 2-5 David Lilley
Ashley Hugill 3-5 Kyren Wilson
Ricky Walden 4-5 Ben Woollaston
Mark Selby 5-2 Long Zehuang
Jackson Page 5-3 Wu Yize
Matthew Stevens 1-5 Elliot Slessor
He Guoqiang 3-5 Daniel Wells
Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-2 Lyu Haotian
Robert Milkins 2-5 Hossein Vafaei
Cao Yupeng 1-5 Ding Junhui
Joe Perry 3-5 Shaun Murphy
Neil Robertson 5-2 Yuan Sijun
Ali Carter 1-5 Chris Wakelin
Robbie Williams 2-5 Barry Hawkins
Stephen Maguire 5-1 Luca Brecel
Round of 16 (bo9)
Judd Trump 5-3 David Lilley
Kyren Wilson 5-4 Ben Woollaston
Mark Selby 2-5 Jackson Page
Elliot Slessor 5-2 Daniel Wells
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-5 Hossein Vafaei
Ding Junhui 5-3 Shaun Murphy
Neil Robertson 5-1 Chris Wakelin
Barry Hawkins 5-1 Stephen Maguire
Quarter-Finals (bo9)
Judd Trump 5-2 Kyren Wilson
Jackson Page 5-2 Elliot Slessor
Hossein Vafaei 0-5 Ding Junhui
Neil Robertson 5-2 Barry Hawkins
Semi-Finals (bo11)
Judd Trump 6-2 Jackson Page
Ding Junhui 6-5 Neil Robertson
Final (bo19)
Judd Trump 10-4 Ding Junhui
How to watch the World Open qualifiers
Live coverage of the World Open qualifiers will be available on discovery+ for viewers across Europe, including the UK and Ireland.
Chinese fans have the option of watching on Migu and Huya.com, while supporters in all other territories can access the games via Matchroom.Live.
You’d think the organisers for this event would’ve insisted O’Sullivan’s qualifying match is held over.
I notice Hendry has pulled out again.
if this is an “open” event why are they holding matches over? surely rankings don’t count in an ” open” event can someone explain this please?
It’s “open” in the sense that it’s open to all professionals to enter, but I don’t think they were thinking of the traditional meaning of “open” when they named the tournament.
All players for this event enter in the same round (last 128), but for promotional reasons some matches involving the leading players have been held over, in addition to those players who have drawn local wildcards. This is common with a lot of tournaments. It’s strange, though, that O’Sullivan – as the world number one – didn’t have his match held over.
holding matches over for promotional reasons? so the ones who are held over could possibly making a costly trip to china for 1 best of 9 match! that’s scandalous…
In that situation, those players will have their basic expenses covered.
or should i say why are they not just playing all the qualifiers in barnsley instead of making some players travel to China for possibly 1 match!
What surprises me is the organisers didn’t insist on O’Sullivan having his qualifier held over. He’s the biggest draw in the sport.
Mark Williams didn’t enter but can’t seem to find out why. Hendry was probably worried if he beat Michael White, next would’ve been O’Sullivan!
Agreed about O’Sullivan. Williams pulled out and was replaced by Iulian Boiko. Not sure precisely why but I know he did have exhibitions this week in Finland. Compiled a 147 there.
It must’ve been a decent earner as this is a big money event. He’s probably already secure for the next two Player’s Series events.
Martin Gould withdrawing from the next two ranking events for medical reasons means his tour future will rest entirely on the World Championship. He’s currently 81st on the provisional end of season rankings.