The China Open 2019 starts tomorrow and there is a lot to play for: big money and possible Crucible seeding.
As always in China the players are made welcome with a huge opening ceremony.
Here are some pictures shared on weibo:
And, the whole thing is on youtube
(yes it’s 3 hours plus, not 3 minutes something …)
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Ding will be OK. In the interview Zhang JK said he “hopes to do himself justice”. The only people who want him to win will be his parents (probably). Apart from all the pomp surrounding China’s number 1, it’s also Ding’s birthday today. Of course the real test is what happens to him in later rounds, after all this energy-sapping promotional stuff.
Traditional Chinese-style opening ceremony. The players have to endure not only those contrived speeches, but having a microphone thrust at them by roaming journalist Li Zheng. We get to see a glimpse of what Ding Junhui has to go through – he’s probably spent the entire weekend with corporates. That’s one thing that Ronnie probably won’t be missing.
Also, the brief interviews with the Chinese players, who aren’t normally given the chance to speak. Interesting to see the wildcard players Bai Langning and Chang Bingyu, who will be professionals next season, signing right-handed. They play left-handed, and it’s something that always interests me.
Mark Selby won a ‘lucky coin’ prize, as if he needs it. However, I once won one of those in Jilin, and it brought me no luck at all…!
Ding was already hanging with Jason Ferguson at the Press day on Thursday. An you wonder why sometimes he looks like he doesn’t want to be there …