Michael Holt beat Zhou Yuelong in the final last year to win his first ranking title
Michael Holt will begin the defence of his title against Jamie Jones, at the world ranking event which runs from February 4 to 7 in Milton Keynes.
Reanne Evans will face China’s Si Jiahui while the other woman in the field, debutant Rebecca Kenna, will be up against Germany’s Simon Lichtenberg.
Former World Champions Ken Doherty and Graeme Dott will go head to head while John Higgins will face a tartan tussle againt Scott Donaldson.
Other notable first round ties include Mark Williams against Ali Carter and Shaun Murphy taking on Luca Brecel.
The popular tournament, which was first staged in 2011, has a unique set of rules, with matches lasting a maximum of ten minutes and a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five minutes and ten seconds for the last five.
Televised live by Eurosport, the event is part of the BetVictor European Series.
No Ronnie, no Judd Trump, no Neil Robertson, no Ding Junhui, no Stephen Maguire, but Reanne Evans and Bex Kenna will fly the flag for the ladies.
I would be highly amused if Reanne or Bex went on to win it. They have as good a chance as anyone… or maybe Amine Amiri, or Brian Ochoiski?
5 thoughts on “Tour News and 2021 Shoot Out and Format”
“No Ronnie, no Judd Trump, no Neil Robertson, no Ding Junhui, no Mark Selby, no Stephen Maguire”
Mark Selby has entered, he plays Billy Joe Castle.
Thank you. Somehow I missed him.
Thank God, Ronnie does not have the need for trying to make up in points to enter this. On the other hand, while I do despise the special rules, like ball in hand, made for this, without the awful crowd they recruit and instruct to give out animal sounds, it might even be watchable to see some players we would not otherwise.
As a pundit for Eurosport a couple of years ago, Ronnie said that there were probably 70-80 players that could win the shootout. I can only speculate why he did not say 128, but you would probably need nerves of steel during QF, SF and the final.
Naturally slow players are obviously at a disadvantage with the very short “shotclock” I guess that this was what he had in mind.
Michael Holt beat Zhou Yuelong in the final last year to win his first ranking title
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
“No Ronnie, no Judd Trump, no Neil Robertson, no Ding Junhui, no Mark Selby, no Stephen Maguire”
Mark Selby has entered, he plays Billy Joe Castle.
Thank you. Somehow I missed him.
Thank God, Ronnie does not have the need for trying to make up in points to enter this. On the other hand, while I do despise the special rules, like ball in hand, made for this, without the awful crowd they recruit and instruct to give out animal sounds, it might even be watchable to see some players we would not otherwise.
As a pundit for Eurosport a couple of years ago, Ronnie said that there were probably 70-80 players that could win the shootout. I can only speculate why he did not say 128, but you would probably need nerves of steel during QF, SF and the final.
Naturally slow players are obviously at a disadvantage with the very short “shotclock” I guess that this was what he had in mind.