Next stop on the snooker roadshow this season is Hong Kong with 32 of the best players set to compete in the 2025 World Grand Prix draw.
The tournament, where qualification is based off the one-year ranking list, moves to a new venue with an increased prize fund.
Hong Kong will stage a ranking tournament for the first time in 36 years, with the newly built Kai Tak Sports Park acting as its resplendent new host.
The most in-form players from the 2024/25 snooker season will be there, and there is a huge sum worth £180,000 on offer for the champion.
2025 World Grand Prix Prize Money
Champion: £180,000
Runner-up: £80,000
Semi-Finals: £35,000
Quarter-Finals: £20,000
Round of 16: £15,000
Round of 32: £10,000
Highest Break: £10,000
Total: £700,000
Who is in the 2025 World Grand Prix draw?
The World Grand Prix is the first event of three coming up on the calendar in which the draw is determined through the one-year rankings.
The upcoming Players Championship will feature a 16-strong field and will quickly be followed by the prestigious 12-player Tour Championship.
Before that, 32 cueists from the one-year list have qualified for the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
Luca Brecel was the highest-profile player to fail to break into the top 32, the Belgian Bullet falling one round short when reaching the semi-finals of the recent Welsh Open – the final counting event before the cut-off point.
Reigning World Grand Prix champion Ronnie O’Sullivan was due to be in the lineup but announced his withdrawal from the competition on Saturday, again citing medical reasons.
The Rocket was originally drawn to face Si Jiahui in a blockbuster opening-round clash but his spot will instead be taken by Hossein Vafaei.
As multiple event winners from this term, the likes of Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, and Mark Selby headline the 2025 World Grand Prix draw.
Trump is the top seed as the leading prize money earner from ranking events since last summer and will take on Gary Wilson, who squeezed into the competition in 32nd place.
Wilson and Selby will encounter Matthew Selt and Jackson Page respectively in the first round.
Masters champion Shaun Murphy will face Ben Woollaston after expected opponent Stephen Maguire pulled out.
Mark Allen, Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui, Mark Williams, and John Higgins are other high-profile participants.
The latter’s confidence will be particularly high after his World Open triumph at the weekend, ending a four-year drought in ranking events.
Round of 32 (bo7)
Matches to be played on Tuesday, March 4th and Wednesday, March 5th
Judd Trump (1) vs Gary Wilson (32)
Jack Lisowski (16) vs Zhang Anda (17)
Si Jiahui (9) vs Hossein Vafaei (33)
Ding Junhui (8) vs Xu Si (25)
Mark Williams (5) vs Stuart Bingham (28)
Wu Yize (12) vs Pang Junxu (21)
Mark Allen (13) vs Jimmy Robertson (20)
Mark Selby (4) vs Jackson Page (29)
Xiao Guodong (3) vs Jak Jones (30)
Lei Peifan (14) vs Elliot Slessor (19)
Chris Wakelin (11) vs David Gilbert (22)
Neil Robertson (6) vs Yuan Sijun (27)
Barry Hawkins (7) vs Tom Ford (26)
Shaun Murphy (10) vs Ben Woollaston (34)
John Higgins (15) vs Ali Carter (18)
Kyren Wilson (2) vs Matthew Selt (31)
Click here to view the latest scores and results
(snooker.org)
How to watch the tournament
There are several options available to watch the 2025 World Grand Prix this year. The full list of global broadcasters:
UK
TNT Sports and discovery+
Ireland
Viewers can subscribe to TNT Sports via locally available TV platforms.
Mainland Europe
Eurosport and locally relevant streaming platforms
(discovery+ in Germany, Italy, and Austria. MAX in all other markets)
China
Huya.com
Migu
CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel
CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
Hong Kong China
Now TV
ViuTVsix (Ch. 96) will broadcast the quarter and semi-finals
ViuTV (Ch. 99) will broadcast the final
Malaysia and Brunei
Astro
Philippines
Tap
Taiwan
Sportcast
Thailand
True Sport
Indonesia
Sportstars/Vision+
All other territories
WST Play
Featured photo credit: WST
Stephen Maguire has now pulled out and been replaced by Ben Woollaston.
Which ranking event was held in Hong Kong in 1990? The only past one I know of was the 1989 Hong Kong Open.
You’re right, 1989. WST kept saying 35 years so ended up taking it as gospel.
It was August that year. Only five centuries were made at the venue stage. In the last 64, Alex Higgins beat John Spencer 5-2.
Hi Mrs Caulfield, I use to watch snooker tournement on TV but it seem that we can not anymore, could you tell me if there is a broadcasting some how and who des it ?
Thank you
Jean Noël de Tilly