Each year on the World Snooker Tour there are four tournaments that make up the Home Nations Series. The first one of these tournaments has quickly drawn upon us and it’s fair to say that the Welsh Open is the first regular season tournament of 2025 that many are excited about.
With £100,000 being awarded to the winner and a place in the Champion of Champions event later in the year there is certainly plenty to play for in Llandudno this week. Here are some of the main storylines to keep an eye on.
Kyren Wilson will hope to cash in on Judd Trump’s absence
It's fair to say that Kyren Wilson has started 2025 in great form. Having lost in the final of the Masters to Shaun Murphy, Wilson put that defeat behind him when he won an epic final at the German Masters.
The defending World Champion and the outright world number two, Wilson looks to be in great form ahead of his World Title defence later this year. Having got the better of Trump in recent times, it’s clear that he has no fears with the World number one and with Trump choosing not to play this week, Wilson will very much hope to cash in on his absence and fully announce himself as Trump’s main competition at the Crucible later this year.
Handed a decent draw, Wilson will be hopeful of capturing his first ever Welsh Open having previously lost in the final back in 2020.
One thing that Wilson will be wary of is the fact that with his win in Germany there were several matches that he was able to sneak through and he certainly will have to be at his best to get past his opening round opponent, Marco Fu. Whilst not the player he once was, Fu is a classy player on his day and will certainly give Wilson a game if the World Champion isn’t quite on his game from the start.
Wilson should get through that contest unscathed and if he is able to get on a roll he could be incredibly hard to stop.
Ronnie O’Sullivan set to make his long awaited return in Wales
On Tuesday morning all eyes will be on Ronnie O’Sullivan as he makes his long awaited return to action. Having made a string of late withdrawals to tournaments at the end of 2024, fans of ‘The Rocket’ have been starved of seeing their man in action as he has withdrawn from the Masters, German Masters and his allotted Championship League matches.
He has remained in the public eye thanks to his media appearances at the Masters and through the numerous exhibition events that fill up his diary and his absences were confirmed as O’Sullivan just trying to ensure that his mental health was as strong as could be.
Content to bide his time and return to action when he felt ready to do so, it looks like O’Sullivan is looking to make his return to competitive action this week. Drawn to face off against Jamie Clark in the opening round of action, despite his lack of competitive matches, he is the huge favourite to advance.
Despite O’Sullivan often proving to be a critique of the professional game and with his behaviour becoming more erratic, O’Sullivan is still very much the main man in professional snooker and with the very best players in the world looking to round into form ahead of the World Championships, the seven time World Champion will be looking to do his talking on the tables this week.
Whilst it may take some time for him to rediscover his fluency, there are several mouth watering matches that lie in prospect. Drawn in the same half as Kyren Wilson, Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams, if O’Sullivan is to capture his fifth Welsh Open title he will certainly have to do it the hard way.
Although he acts in a way that not everyone will agree with, it’s hard to argue that when O’Sullivan is playing his best snooker he can help elevate the game to new levels. Snooker is better with O’Sullivan playing well and for those watching the action in Wales closely, they will hope to see O’Sullivan find his form quickly.
Two players head down to Wales more than capable of pulling off the shock victory this week
With Kyren Wilson having exerted himself to the maximum in Germany, Judd Trump absent and with huge questions over the form and well being of Ronnie O’Sullivan it’s fair to say that this year’s Welsh Open has a wide open feel to it.
If you are looking to place a bet this week, one man who could be worth taking a second look at could be Barry Hawkins. Having been outside of the world’s top 16 for the bulk of 2024, Hawkins has rediscovered his best snooker over the last few months.
A beaten finalist at the UK Championship when only narrowly losing to Judd Trump, Hawkins came so close to pulling off another shock when only just being defeated by Kyren Wilson in the final of the German Masters. Gritty when at his best, few are as tough to beat as Hawkins and the former World Champion looks more than capable of having yet another productive week.
Yet to win this title, he lost in the final back in 2018 and will be hugely hopeful of going one place better this time around.
Like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams doesn’t play every single title on the World Snooker Tour, but this is a tournament he greatly looks forward too.
A proud Welshman, Williams has won his home tournament on two different occasions but that last victory came 26 years ago and he will be desperate to get back inside the winner’s circle this year.
Arguably as talented as any player to have ever played the game, Williams hasn’t been in the greatest of form heading into the event, but as he has shown time and time again, the three time World Champion can turn it on whenever he wants.
Set to have the home crowd behind him this week, the world number five will certainly have added motivation this week.
Jonathan Ashby
Jonathan Ashby, at 35, boasts a deep well of knowledge about the world of snooker. A specialist with a passion for the game's history, techniques, and players, he provides invaluable insights to both novices and seasoned enthusiasts. Through his articles, Jonathan aims to share the rich tapestry and nuances of this beloved cue sport.
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