For the first time in 2025 the World Snooker Tour will head to China for the 2025 World Open.
Set to be held in Yushan, there is a big prize on offer with the winner of the tournament set to land £175,000.
Qualifying for the event took place back in December with the exception of a few special qualifying matches that will take place during the first day of action and will involve the top two players in the world, Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has confirmed that he won’t be in attendance next week, with other notable absences including Mark Williams, David Gilbert and Neil Robertson.
Ahead of what could be a fantastic week, here are some of the storylines to watch out for.
Judd Trump looks to win third consecutive World Open title
Ever since the World Snooker Tour first moved to China it’s fair to say that Judd Trump has had a love affair with the country.
Not only do the fans seem to love the world number one but the Englishman seems to really enjoy playing out in the Far East and he will have high hopes of winning this title for a third time.
He first won this title back in 2019 only for the tournament to not return for another five years due to Covid.
With Trump finally having the chance to defend his crown last year, he once again showed why he is the best player in the world when he emerged victorious and he will hope to repeat the trick this year.
Having set records for the amount of prize money won in one season, Trump has had a mixed start to 2025 and with the World Championship creeping into view he will hope to play himself into form.
A beaten semifinalist at the Masters to Kyren Wilson, he then lost to Wilson again in the Championship League and exited the German Masters tamely to Neil Robertson.
There will be concerns in the Trump camp that of late Kyren Wilson has gotten the better of him and ahead of the World Championship he will be desperate to put down a serious marker. He will hope to restore his dominance this week in conditions that he is clearly comfortable in.
Kyren Wilson will hope to build on momentum and keep the pressure on his rivals
It’s going to be a big few months for Kyren Wilson as he prepares to defend his World Championship crown that he won so memorably last year.
Although Wilson has always been regarded as a top player, there would have been some who were surprised that he was able to be crowned World Champion but since his memorable run at the Crucible, Wilson has certainly shown that his victory was no fluke.
A winner of the Northern Irish Open, he reached the final of the 2025 Masters and ensured that he would taste success early in 2025 when he went all the way at the German Masters.
Having had a busy start to the year it perhaps wasn’t surprising that he fell in the second round at the Welsh Open. Although no player likes to lose, the rest could be just what Wilson needed and he will travel over to China confident of adding yet another title.
Mark Selby looking to capitalise on Welsh Open victory with a big showing in China
Mark Selby has won most titles in World Snooker but the World Open is one that has so far eluded him. A beaten finalist back in 2014, he will head to China with plenty of belief following his excellent victory at last week’s Welsh Open.
Fiercely underrated as a player, Selby’s unassuming nature both on and off the table has often seen him be overlooked by the more flamboyant players on Tour such as Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump.
A gritty match player, Selby’s determination was out in full force during the qualifying round when he eventually edged out Artemijs Zizins 5-4 in a back and forth encounter.
Perhaps a little fortunate to be in the main draw this week, Selby could well travel to China with a nothing to lose mentality.
In flying form following his most recent ranking victory, nobody will want to face the man from Leicester at any stage of the tournament. If you fancy betting on value this week, Selby could well be the play.
Chinese stars will hope to light up the tournament in front of their home fans
With China proving to be big business in China and one of the country’s fastest emerging sports, it perhaps isn’t surprising that there are a plethora of Chinese stars who will be dreaming of victory in front of their home fans this week.
As has so often been the case, Ding Junhui will start the week as China’s highest ranked player and he will hope to win this title for a second time.
Although he has sometimes buckled on the biggest of stages, as he has gained more experience Ding has been able to remain a threat and he showed that when he reached the final of this tournament 12 months ago.
For so long Ding has flown the flag for China and it is because of him that other Chinese players have been able to follow. He will hope to show exactly why he is the best player that China has ever produced this week.
Whilst Ding may be the Chinese player with the most experience, the one man that all of China are all excited about is Jiahui Si.
At 22, Si finds himself ranked 12 in the world and many believe that he has the talent and the mental toughness to be crowned China’s first ever World Champion. As of yet Si is yet to win a ranking title but he will hope that his first win is just around the corner.
With many believing that he has all of the tools to take him right to the top and he will look to show exactly why that is the case this week.
Andrew Blakely
At 35, Andrew Blakely stands as a seasoned expert in both snooker and its betting intricacies. A dedicated player and analyst, he offers keen insights derived from years in the field. Through his writings, Andrew aspires to guide enthusiasts navigating the captivating world of snooker betting.
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