With the 2025 Scottish Open down to its last 16 players, the race to secure a place at February’s lucrative World Grand Prix is reaching a critical stage.
The Scottish Open represents the final opportunity for players to add prize money to their one-year ranking totals, with only the top 32 earning qualification for the Hong Kong event.
While four more wins are required to lift the Stephen Hendry Trophy and claim the £100,000 top prize in Edinburgh, qualification scenarios are already coming sharply into focus.
Several players currently hovering around the cut-off line remain in the hunt as the tournament enters its decisive phase at the Meadowbank Sports Centre.
In particular, Chang Bingyu and Noppon Saengkham have both forced themselves into contention after successfully reaching the last 16.
Chang, who has impressively beaten Stephen Maguire and Si Jiahui en route to this stage, has risen up to 32nd provisionally and would qualify if things remain unchanged.
Saengkham, however, is hot on the heels of the young Chinese potter in 33rd after orchestrating a fine 4-0 defeat of home favourite John Higgins in the round of 32.
The 2023 Scottish Open runner-up would provisionally promote himself into the top 32 on the one-year list if he can reach the quarter-finals and Chang were to lose his last-16 tie to Kyren Wilson.
Not helping Saengkham’s chances is the fact he must overcome Mark Selby, who is in the midst of an 11-game winning streak on the tour.
Provisional one-year rankings
30. Aaron Hill – £70,700
31. Jak Jones – £70,000
32. Chang Bingyu – £68,100
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33. Noppon Saengkham – £65,400
37. Zak Surety – £58,700
50. Matthew Selt – £42,750
61. Jiang Jun – £36,350
Click here for the full provisional Race to the World Grand Prix list (snooker.org)
The deeper Chang and Saengkham can go in the tournament, the more likely it will obviously be that they will feature in Hong Kong.
Just ahead of them, Jak Jones and Aaron Hill will be two players looking over their shoulders and hoping results that are out of their hands go their way.
Further down the one-year pecking order, the likes of Zak Surety and Matthew Selt are still involved but would need to go far beyond their respective last-16 bouts with Joe O’Connor and Wu Yize.
Surety requires a semi-final appearance at the very least, while Selt needs to reach the final if he’s to earn a World Grand Prix invitation.
Elsewhere in the last 16 of the Scottish Open draw, former champion Mark Allen entertains Zhang Anda while last week’s Shoot Out runner-up Stuart Bingham plays Zhou Yuelong.
Yuan Sijun’s reward for dispatching defending champion Lei Peifan is a meeting with Chris Wakelin with countryman Jiang Jun in action against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
Jiang is the lowest-ranked contender from the one-year list still in the field, and the 20 year-old would need at least a final appearance to make it to Hong Kong.
Scottish Open Draw
Round of 16 (bo7)
Yuan Sijun vs Chris Wakelin
Stuart Bingham vs Zhou Yuelong
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Jiang Jun
Wu Yize vs Matthew Selt
Kyren Wilson vs Chang Bingyu
Mark Selby vs Noppon Saengkham
Mark Allen vs Zhang Anda
Zak Surety vs Joe O’Connor
Featured photo credit: WST
Yes it’s quite a difference for those who qualify. Aaron Hill is now confirmed, but Jak Jones is in trouble, as Matt Selt is playing too well – a potential champion.
I will be in Hong Kong for the WGP, immediately after the German Masters (my 7th time there). It will be interesting to see the new Kai Tak arena for the first time!