The 2024/25 snooker season is under way, and the first trophies of the new term will be handed out during the month of July.
It won’t be until into September that we can get properly immersed in the latest campaign on the World Snooker Tour.
A stop-start opening means that there are only two events scheduled to be played between June and the end of August.
But silverware will be won in July, including a prestigious invitational title, so let’s take a look at what snooker is on the horizon.
Championship League Snooker
June 10 – July 3
Championship League Snooker began several weeks ago at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, launching the new season as has become customary in recent years.
The remaining exchanges of the lengthy tournament will take place during the first few days of July.
Four players have already made it through Stage Two and are guaranteed spots in the last eight of the competition on Wednedsay.
Monday and Tuesday’s play will see the other four players join them in Stage Three, when the final two groups of the event will be conducted.
The two table-toppers on Wednesday will then duke it out over a sprint five-frame format to determine the season’s first ranking champion.
Shanghai Masters
July 15 – 21
The Shanghai Masters, one of the most prestigious invitational tournaments in snooker these days, takes place later in July.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the event the last four times it has been staged, including last year when he overcame Luca Brecel in a close final.
The format sees the top 16 from the official world rankings list welcomed to the Shanghai Grand Stage.
Eight other spots in the 24-player field are taken up by Chinese competitors – the next four highest ranked cueists on the main tour from China in addition to four young wildcard amateurs from the country’s amateur scene.
O’Sullivan will be the favourite in the outright betting market to land what would be a record-extending sixth Shanghai Masters title.
World champion Kyren Wilson, world number one Mark Allen, and O’Sullivan’s big rivals Judd Trump and Mark Selby are among the other high-profile stars in the draw.
2024 Shanghai Masters draw
Round 1 (bo11)
Zhang Anda 3-6 Zhou Jinhao
Ali Carter 6-0 Qiu Lei
Tom Ford 3-6 Si Jiahui
Mark Williams 6-3 Wang Xinbo
Gary Wilson 5-6 Pang Junxu
Jak Jones 2-6 Cao Jin
John Higgins 6-1 Lyu Haotian
Barry Hawkins 4-6 Zhou Yuelong
Round 2 (bo11)
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-1 Zhou Jinhao
Ding Junhui 6-5 Ali Carter
Luca Brecel 2-6 Si Jiahui
Judd Trump 6-2 Mark Williams
Mark Allen 5-6 Pang Junxu
Mark Selby 6-1 Cao Jin
Shaun Murphy 6-3 John Higgins
Kyren Wilson 0-6 Zhou Yuelong
Quarter-Finals (bo11)
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-3 Ding Junhui
Si Jiahui 2-6 Judd Trump
Pang Junxu 3-6 Mark Selby
Shaun Murphy 6-2 Zhou Yuelong
Semi-Finals (bo19)
Ronnie O’Sullivan 3-10 Judd Trump
Mark Selby 8-10 Shaun Murphy
Final (bo21)
Judd Trump 11-5 Shaun Murphy
Qualifying Rounds
July 25 – August 3
Towards the end of the month, there is a big batch of qualifiers pencilled in at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.
The inaugurual Xi-an Grand Prix will have its preliminary stage held from July 25th to July 27th.
That will be quickly followed by qualifying for both the Wuhan Open (July 28th to July 30th) and the British Open (July 31st to August 3rd).
The draws for these events haven’t been released yet.
What other snooker events are on in July, 2024?
The next tournament on the World Women’s Snooker Tour doesn’t take place until August when the US Women’s Open returns to Seattle.
It’s a similar situation on the WDBS circuit, with the German Masters scheduled for the first week of August.
On the amateur scene, the second event on the Middle East Q Tour will be staged from July 19 to 21 in Dubai.
If you know of any more interesting tournaments being staged around the world in July, let us know in the comments section below.
2024/25 WST calendar
Note: Dates are provisional and subject to change
(NR = Non-ranking event)
COMPLETED
Championship League Snooker
Champion: Ali Carter
Shanghai Masters (NR)
Champion: Judd Trump
Xi’an Grand Prix
Champion: Kyren Wilson
Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
Champion: Judd Trump
English Open
Champion: Neil Robertson
British Open
Champion: Mark Selby
Wuhan Open
Champion: Xiao Guodong
Northern Ireland Open
Champion: Kyren Wilson
International Championship
Champion: Ding Junhui
Champion of Champions (NR)
Champion: Mark Williams
UK Championship
Champion: Judd Trump
Snooker Shoot Out
Champion: Tom Ford
Scottish Open
Champion: Lei Peifan
DECEMBER
16th to 22nd
– German Masters qualifiers
– World Open qualifiers
(Canon Medical Arena, Sheffield)
18th to 20th
Riyadh Season Snooker Championship (NR)
(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
JANUARY
12th to 19th
The Masters (NR)
(Alexandra Palace, London)
27th to February 2nd
German Masters
(Tempodrom, Berlin)
FEBRUARY
10th to 16th
Welsh Open
(Venue Cymru, Llandudno)
24th to March 2nd
World Open
(TBC, China)
MARCH
4th to 9th
World Grand Prix
(Hong Kong)
17th to 23rd
Players Championship
(Telford, England)
31st to April 6th
Tour Championship
(Manchester Central, Manchester)
APRIL
7th to 16th
World Championship qualifiers
(EIS, Sheffield)
19th to May 5th
World Snooker Championship
(Crucible Theatre, Sheffield)
Featured photo credit: WST
A quieter July is not too unwelcome as a big all round sports fan. July is the sporting month of the year for me. We’ve got the Euros knockout stages, Wimbledon, PDC World Matchplay, Tour de France, The Open, Test cricket and the first five days of the Olympics.