The 2023 Worldwide Championship commences on Sunday in Tianjin with Ronnie O’Sullivan, Luca Brecel, and Judd Trump within the draw.
The latter is bidding to seize a fourth rating title in a row following triumphs within the English, Wuhan, and Northern Eire Opens in October.
Trump tallied £300,000 in prize cash final month, which has additionally introduced him into competition to reclaim prime spot on the earth rankings.
Certainly, there are 4 gamers who may finish the Worldwide Championship because the world primary.
The seventh rating occasion of the 2023/24 snooker season additionally offers gamers with a remaining alternative to qualify for subsequent week’s Champion of Champions.
Worldwide Championship Roll of Honour
2012: Judd Trump
2013: Ding Junhui
2014: Ricky Walden
2015: John Higgins
2016: Mark Selby
2017: Mark Selby
2018: Mark Allen
2019 Judd Trump
Prize, historical past, and format
Trump is the reigning champion, though the rating occasion hasn’t been staged since earlier than the pandemic.
The Englishman’s 10-3 victory over Shaun Murphy within the 2019 remaining represented his second success within the event having additionally gained the inaugural staging again in 2012.
There have been victories in between for Ding Junhui, Ricky Walden, John Higgins, and Mark Allen, along with back-to-back glories for Mark Selby.
All of these contenders are again within the draw for the 2023 version of the Worldwide Championship.
A prime prize value £175,000 ensures that it will likely be one of the wanted titles on the calendar thus far.
Mark Allen requires that champion’s cheque to usurp the three gamers in entrance of him within the rankings and into first place for the primary time in his profession.
World champion Brecel and the in-form Trump are a lot nearer to present world primary O’Sullivan within the standings.
With simply £10,000 separating O’Sullivan in first and Trump in third, there are a number of permutations which may see the order change this week.
There are best-of-11 matches till the semi-finals, which can then see the format improve to two-session affairs performed over 17 frames.
The Worldwide Championship remaining on Sunday will then be contested throughout 19 frames.
2023 Worldwide Championship draw
Trump, O’Sullivan, and Brecel are amongst a small group of gamers who’ve had their round-of-128 fixtures held over to the venue.
A lot of the different matches from that spherical have already been settled after a preliminary part was held in Sheffield in September.
Trump is on a 20-game profitable streak and can face both Gong Chenzhi or Wang Xinzhong – two younger Chinese language wildcards within the Worldwide Championship draw.
O’Sullivan renews a well-recognized rivalry with previous foe Ken Doherty, whereas Brecel returns to motion for the primary time in a month in opposition to Daniel Womersley.
The likes of Allen, Selby, Murphy, and Neil Robertson are already by way of to the final 64.
Robertson will try and land silverware for the primary time in 2023, and with it a spot at subsequent week’s prestigious Champion of Champions invitational in Bolton.
2023 Worldwide Championship Draw
Spherical of 128
Judd Trump vs Gong Chenzhi/Wang Xinzhong
Michael White 6-3 Himanshu Jain
Stephen Maguire 6-2 Peng Yisong
Joe O’Connor 6-1 Baipat Siripaporn
Ryan Day 6-1 Mink Nutcharut
Jackson Web page 6-3 Liam Graham
Hossein Vafaei 6-1 Reanne Evans
Ross Muir 6-3 Wu Yize
Ben Woollaston vs Wang Xinbo
Dylan Emery 6-3 Joe Perry
David Grace 6-2 Jenson Kendrick
John Higgins 6-1 Manasawin Phetmalaikul
Jordan Brown 6-5 Sean O’Sullivan
David Gilbert 6-0 James Cahill
Elliot Slessor 6-2 Hammad Miah
Kyren Wilson 6-3 Adam Duffy
Mark Selby 6-2 Muhammad Asif
Stuart Carrington 6-4 Xi Si
Jimmy Robertson 6-2 Anton Kazakov
Xiao Guodong 6-4 Ishpreet Singh Chadha
Marco Fu 6-4 Robert Milkins
Sanderson Lam 6-2 Andy Hicks
Tom Ford 6-4 Stan Moody
Cao Yupeng 6-0 Ashley Hugill
Jamie Jones 6-4 Ashley Carty
Ricky Walden 6-1 Jiang Jun
Tian Pengfei 6-3 Stephen Hendry
Barry Hawkins 6-0 Andrew Pagett
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-1 Andrew Higginson
Matthew Selt 6-1 Jimmy White
Oliver Traces 6-4 Lukas Kleckers
Mark Allen 6-2 Ma Hailong
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ken Doherty
Mark Joyce 6-3 Andy Lee
Si Jiahui 6-5 Julien Leclercq
Jak Jones 6-2 Aaron Hill
Jack Lisowski 6-3 He Guoqiang
Scott Donaldson 6-4 Louis Heathcote
Anthony McGill 6-3 Alfie Burden
Sam Craigie 6-1 Rory Thor
Matthew Stevens 6-4 Liu Hongyu
Stuart Bingham 6-0 Xing Zihao
John Astley 6-5 Jamie Clarke
Ali Carter 6-2 Allan Taylor
Anthony Hamilton vs Bai Yulu
Zhou Yuelong vs Martin O’Donnell
Daniel Wells 6-2 Liam Highfield
Neil Robertson 6-4 Ryan Thomerson
Shaun Murphy 6-1 Andres Petrov
Dominic Dale 6-3 Oliver Brown
Chris Wakelin 6-0 Dean Younger
Lyu Haotian 6-5 David Lilley
Mark Williams 6-0 Rebecca Kenna
Zhang Anda 6-3 Alexander Ursenbacher
Noppon Saengkham 6-3 Victor Sarkis
Liam Pullen 6-4 Graeme Dott
Robbie Williams 6-3 Ben Mertens
Gary Wilson 6-0 Mohamed Ibrahim
Lengthy Zehuang 6-5 Yuan Sijun
Ding Junhui vs Ian Burns
Pang Junxu 6-3 Zak Surety
Fan Zhengyi 6-2 Mostafa Dorgham
Mark Davis 6-4 Rod Lawler
Luca Brecel vs Daniel Womersley
Spherical of 64
Trump/Gong/Wang vs Michael White
Stephen Maguire vs Joe O’Connor
Ryan Day vs Jackson Web page
Hossein Vafaei vs Ross Muir
Woollaston/Wang vs Dylan Emery
David Grace vs John Higgins
Jordan Brown vs David Gilbert
Elliot Slessor vs Kyren Wilson
Mark Selby vs Stuart Carrington
Jimmy Robertson vs Xiao Guodong
Marco Fu vs Sanderson Lam
Tom Ford vs Cao Yupeng
Jamie Jones vs Ricky Walden
Tian Pengfei vs Barry Hawkins
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Matthew Selt
Oliver Traces vs Mark Allen
R. O’Sullivan/Doherty vs Mark Joyce
Si Jiahui vs Jak Jones
Jack Lisowski vs Scott Donaldson
Anthony McGill vs Sam Craigie
Matthew Stevens vs Stuart Bingham
John Astley vs Ali Carter
Hamilton/Bai vs Zhou/O’Donnell
Daniel Wells vs Neil Robertson
Shaun Murphy vs Dominic Dale
Chris Wakelin vs Lyu Haotian
Mark Williams vs Zhang Anda
Noppon Saengkham vs Liam Pullen
Robbie Williams vs Gary Wilson
Lengthy Zehuang vs Ding/Burns
Pang Junxu vs Fan Zhengyi
Mark Davis vs Brecel/Womersley
Learn how to watch the Worldwide Championship
There shall be reside protection of the event on Eurosport and discovery+ throughout Europe, together with Eire and the UK.
In China, there may be protection on CCTV5, Migu, Youku, and Huya.com, whereas Hong Kong viewers can watch on Now TV.
Followers in different territories can comply with the motion through a subscription on Matchroom.Dwell.
Featured picture credit score: WST
