Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams and defending champion Kyren Wilson will be among those battling for the trophy in the event which starts on July 18th.
Note that Ng On Yee and Zhou Yuelong have pulled out of the event, replaced by Saqib Nasir and Joshua Thomond respectively.
Zhou Yuelong withdrawal is maybe not too unexpected, but On Yee was really looking forward to start playing on the Main Tour and her withdrawal is almost certainly the result of ongoing travel restrictions. As such, it’s pretty worrying for her as well as for Marco Fu as the covid-19 situation in the UK doesn’t look like it’s improving any time soon.
Here’s the prize money breakdown for the new Turkish Masters world ranking event:
Winner: £100,000
Runner-up: £45,000
Semi-finals: £20,000
Quarter-finals: £12,500
Last 16: £7,500
Last 32: £5,500
Last 64: £3,500
High break: £5,000
Total: £500,000
All matches up to and including the quarter-finals will be best of nine frames, with the semi-finals best of 11 and the final best of 17.
The qualifying round in Barnsley will run from September 16 to 21, followed by the final stages in Antalya from September 27 to October 3.
WST will closely monitor all guidelines on travel and Covid safety, working with governments in the UK and overseas.
If for any reason we are not able to host the tournament on these dates, we intend to postpone the event to dates to be confirmed later this season, likely to be March. In that instance, we plan to stage a different ranking event in Barnsley from September 27 to October 3.
Antalya is renowned as one of Europe’s outstanding destinations, known for its culture, history and ideal location on the Mediterranean coast.
So this, at least, looks like a proper tournament with proper prize money. I hope it happens!
Next month’s British Open world ranking event, to be staged at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, will have a completely random draw for all rounds.
The tournament will run from August 16 to 22 featuring 128 of the world’s top players. Every round will see a random draw, which could pitch the top stars against each other.
The event, to be televised by ITV, has a rich history having previously been staged from 1985 to 2004, often with random draws as a distinctive element.
Details on the line-up of players and how to watch the first round draw will be announced closer to the event.
Fans will be welcomed for the seven-day tournament, which will be the first ever ranking event at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
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Snooker has led the sporting world in the post-lockdown return of live audiences, and WST will continue to work closely with the UK Government and all of our venues and partners on Covid-19 regulation.
British Open prize money
Winner: £100,000
Runner-up: £45,000
Semi-finals: £20,000
Quarter-finals: £12,000
Last 16: £7,000
Last 32: £5,000
Last 64: £3,000
High break: £5,000
Total: £470,000
I’m sure some will think that this is “exciting” … but it’s not not for me. Ultra short format, random draw in each round, significantly more money than the Home Nations. Seriously? This is a good recipe to make snooker random rather than having the best players getting to the latests stages as they should.
Will the draws be made “public”? I hope so. Or will we see some more pairings simikar to the “Jimmy White v Stephen Hendry” at the World Qualifiers? I wouldn’t be surprised. I wouldn’t be happy. The bookies will be delighted and it’s probably all that matters.
Tickets On Sale For Snooker’s British Open In Leicester
Snooker fans will have the chance to see the world’s top stars in action at the British Open in Leicester in August.
Tickets are ON SALE NOW starting at just £5 for the world ranking event which runs from August 16 to 22 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester. BOOK NOW – for all details click here.
It will be the first snooker event of the 2021/22 season to welcome a crowd. Snooker has led the sporting world in the post-lockdown return of live audiences, and WST will continue to work closely with the UK Government and all of our venues and partners on Covid-19 regulation.
The British Open, to be televised live by ITV as well as a range of broadcasters outside the UK, will feature 128 of the world’s best players battling for the trophy. It returns to the calendar for the first time in 17 years. Previously, The British Open was ever present on the calendar from 1985 to 2004 and has been won by great names including Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, Paul Hunter and John Higgins.
A strong field is expected for the tournament in August, which will see snooker fans welcomed to the Morningside Arena in Leicester for the first time.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “We are delighted to give snooker supporters the opportunity to watch the best players on the planet in what will be a fabulous week of top class sport.
“Following our discussions with our partners and public health bodies we are thrilled to be able to open our doors at the start of the 2021/22 season, carrying on the momentum we achieved at the World Championship in the Spring. For the players, to have a crowd and an atmosphere makes such a difference.
“We know there is a huge amount of interest in snooker in Leicester and the surrounding area, with Mark Selby and several other tour players from the city proving to be great role models. The Morningside is an excellent venue and I hope to see it packed out for the seven days.”
Fans can be assured that all necessary precautions will be taken at events to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission, keeping safety as our highest priority. If at the time of the event Government restrictions force this event to change its terms of attendance, customers will be offered a variety of options and where necessary refunds will be made available.
Details on the line-up of players will be announced closer to the event.
The ITV coverage is excellent, but, unfortunately, it’s only available to UK viewers (unless you “trick the system… hum…). I do hope that it will be shown by Eurosport because, last season, the Tour Championship was only available to me on Matchroom.live. That platform usually works well, but not on that occasion. For some reason I had to “refresh” it after every frame and the quality wasn’t great.
Also I had a look at this
I had hoped that with a new person at the WST helm we could go back to longer formats. This is clearly NOT the case, unfortunately. This event will be best of 5 up to the last 16, best of 7 for the QFs and SFs and best of 11 for the Final.
This is a shame, this is not right. The British Open has a prestigious history, it deserves better than this. It has run as a ranking event for 20 years, from 1985 to 2004, it has been won by all the greats in the sport we love. To reduce it to this is a sad farce. It’s an insult to its history.
If WST wants to run such tournaments … so be it, but don’t name it the “British Open”.
With the 2021/22 World Snooker Tour season getting underway this month, we asked some of snooker’s top analysts and journalists to give their predictions for the year ahead…
Jones enjoyed a strong 2020/21 campaign.
Most Likely Maiden Ranking Event Winner
Neal Foulds, Former World Number Three, TV Pundit and Commentator
Zhou Yuelong – It requires a tough all round game to be a winner on the main tour these days and I think Zhou can go on to win something this time around. He’s been an exceptional talent for a while, but lifting a trophy is by no means easy. After a few near misses, I would say Zhou is now ready to win.
Alan McManus, Former Masters champion, TV Pundit and Commentator
Zhou Yuelong/Jamie Jones – I think a lot of people will pick Zhou as the obvious one. He is reaching new consistency levels and I believe he is ready to win. I spent a lot of time in the commentary box watching his matches last season and he impresses the heck out of me. I think he is coming to terms with being around that top 16 level.
I also do think Jones is going to have a really good season. He’s got a second wind and chance in career terms and he has grasped it. I have always been a big fan of his game, as he’s not afraid to win. He’s maybe not quite as gifted as some of the top players, but 90% of the tour aren’t. He is the sort of player that I think will have two or three deep runs. If the timing is right, he could possibly win.
David Hendon, Snooker Commentator and Journalist
Xiao Guodong – He’s a very elegant player, very nice to watch, and fits into that category we’ve seen in recent years of someone who has been around for a while, knocked on the door plenty of times and eventually wins something. He possibly also has the advantage of not being constantly talked up as a potential winner.
Michael McMullan, Snooker Commentator and Journalist
Jamie Jones – I’ve always enjoyed watching Jones and was a bit surprised he hadn’t achieved more. Obviously he had some time away from the game, but it could turn out to be a massive blessing in disguise as he looked really rejuvenated last season. If he continues on his current path I can definitely see him winning a tournament some time soon.
Jamie Broughton, BBC 5 Live Snooker Reporter
David Gilbert – A class player. Too good not to win a title, and having struggled during the early part of the lockdown now seems to be back to his old self. Jack Lisowski will also be pushing hard to win a first ranking event.
Vafaei is a three-time ranking event semi-finalist.
Surprise Package of the Season
Neal Foulds
Hossein Vafaei – I think we are yet to see the best of Vafaei as a player. He’s struggled to convert his excellent form in qualifiers to the latter stages of events on the TV table, but many players have had that problem in the past. If he can overcome this hurdle, he’s capable of making a mockery of his current world ranking of 41. I believe he’s good enough to become the first Iranian player to break into the top 16.
Alan McManus
Wu Yize – I played Wu in the World Championship a couple of years ago and he has got something a little bit special in the way he hits the ball. He’s that young and inexperienced that he doesn’t realise how well he hits it. He goes through the ball like a knife through butter. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he gets on. He’s going to have some bad defeats at this early stage of his career, but I also think he could surprise a few people.
David Hendon
Jackson Page – I was pleased to see him bounce back immediately through the Q School after being relegated. There have been several high profile players – Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Kyren Wilson spring to mind – who dropped off but then really motored when they regained their tour cards. Jackson is still young and has the advantage of having guidance from Mark Williams. He just needs to get on a run in a couple of events and he could do some damage.
Michael McMullan
Pang Junxu – We’ve seen countless Chinese players emerge over the last 15 years or so who look really promising for one tournament but then don’t really build on it. Pang had his breakthrough moment very early on, getting to a last 16 right at the start of his rookie season, but crucially he’s backed it up quickly by getting to that stage of two more events since. The fact that he did so well in his first year also limits the pressure to stay on tour, which usually comes with the second season for a new professional.
Jamie Broughton
Liam Highfield – There aren’t any real surprises, but I’d go for Highfield. He played well to qualify for the Crucible. He’s been working hard on his game, and hopefully can push on this season.
Trump has won 11 ranking titles over the last two seasons.
Star Player Of The Season
Neal Foulds
Judd Trump – Clearly this category is all about winning titles. It’s tough to look beyond Trump given his current strike rate in all WST events. Due to the respect he now gives all opposition, he has become a prolific winner and I see no reason why that will change.
Alan McManus
Neil Robertson – Just plainly on the strength of his performance at the Tour Championship, I think Robertson could have a really good season. I know he will be disappointed he didn’t get it going at the Crucible again. The World Championship is a worry for him, we are all surprised he hasn’t won it for 11 years. I think he had a brilliant season last year though and I think he is going to have another this time around. The Tour Championship reminded us all how good he can be on his day.
David Hendon
Judd Trump – It feels like an obvious answer, but I can’t see Trump’s hunger for trophies abating any time soon. What I like about him is that he treats every event the same: he just wants to win them all. This is what the likes of Davis and Hendry used to be like. It will be hard to keep winning five or six titles a season but I get the feeling he’ll win more than anyone else.
Michael McMullan
Judd Trump – He’s arguably been the best player for three seasons in a row now, which is so hard to do nowadays. There’s no sign at all that he’s likely to let up any time soon, so I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t add another three or four titles at least in the season ahead.
Jamie Broughton
Mark Selby – I could have also picked Trump, who should win plenty of events, but Selby was granite once again at the Crucible. The World Champion plays every match like it’s a final, and never gives up.
Selby’s victory at the Crucible puts him in a strong position.
World Number One at the End of the Season
Neal Foulds
Mark Selby – This revolves around the World Championship, including the winner of last season’s one. Selby retains half a million points at the end of the forthcoming season and that helps his cause. On that basis he can get to the top of the tree with another deep run at Sheffield in 2022.
Alan McManus
Mark Selby – The World Championship has a huge bearing on things. I have to say I don’t completely agree with the pounds for points system, but Selby is in the box seat. If there is any justice in the world then Trump will be the number one, because you can’t ignore how he has been doing. However, you have to expect Selby is going to have a strong Crucible next year on the evidence of what we have seen. It is a good little race to keep an eye on.
David Hendon
Judd Trump – This is genuinely fascinating because the gap has narrowed and Trump will have significant points coming off throughout the campaign. So much will come down to the really big money events, most especially the World Championship. My feeling is he will just about hold Selby off but it could be close.
Michael McMullan
Mark Selby – The way the system works these days, winning the World Championship is more important than ever in terms of the rankings, particularly with so many big-money events in China effectively in cold storage for now. Selby had already had a very productive season even before getting to Sheffield so he carries forward a significant lead from the one-year list. Trump might have to win the world title again next May to stop Selby finishing the season top of the list.
Jamie Broughton
Mark Selby – I think Selby is in the best position to end the season on top of the pile.
For what it’s worth – i.e not much – here are some personal predictions.
I have no clue as to who will win a maiden title this season, if anyone at all. Actually, I think that it’s very likely that all tournaments, except the shoot-out, will be won by someone who has already a ranking title to their name.
A “surprise package” is, by definition, something unexpected, so trying to predict it is a bit of an oxymoronic behaviour. Also a surprise could be good or bad. For me a good “surprise package” would be Ding getting back to the winning circle.
“Star player of the season”… I have a feeling that it could well be Mark Selby, playing with rediscovered confidence and finishing it as World Number One.
And here is one more… I expect On Yee to do better than Reanne over the two coming seasons.
BetVictor Extends Involvement with World Snooker Tour by Adding Home Nations Series to the BetVictor European Series
BetVictor, a leading global gambling company, will be title sponsor of all four of snooker’s Home Nations events during the 2021/22 season, plus all four events in the European Series.
In all, BetVictor will sponsor eight tournaments on the World Snooker Tour in the coming season. The player earning the most prize money across the eight events will earn a massive £150,000 bonus. The BetVictor Snooker Series rankings will run throughout the events, as players strive to top the list and earn the bonus.
BetVictor Home Nations Series BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, October 10-17, Belfast BetVictor English Open, November 1-7, Milton Keynes BetVictor Scottish Open, December 6-12, Venue TBC BetVictor Welsh Open, February 28 to March 6, Newport
BetVictor European Series BetVictor Shoot Out, January 20-23, Leicester BetVictor German Masters, January 26-30, Berlin BetVictor European Masters, February 21-27, Venue TBC BetVictor Gibraltar Open, March 24-26, Gibraltar
The BetVictor Home Nations series has been running since 2016 and brings the world’s top stars to four countries across the UK. Each event is broadcast across the globe.
Judd Trump has banked the £150,000 BetVictor bonus in each of the last two years
The BetVictor European Series is a quartet of world ranking events across the UK and continental Europe. All tournaments feature snooker’s leading players competing for prestigious trophies.
Broadcasters for the two series include Eurosport, Quest, BBC Wales, TrueSport, SportCast, Now TV, Sky Sports (NZ), Astro SuperSport, CCTV5, DAZN as well as a number of local broadcasters and digital streaming partners.
World number one Judd Trump won four of these titles last season: the English Open, Northern Ireland Open, German Masters and Gibraltar Open. Mark Selby lifted the Scottish Open and European Masters crowns, while Ryan Day landed the Shoot Out title and Jordan Brown won the Welsh Open.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “We are thrilled to welcome BetVictor on board for a wide range of our biggest tournaments in 2021/22. We have worked with their fantastic team for many years and we are delighted to continue to build a successful partnership.
“These events have a vast audience across the planet as we continue to grow each year in terms of our international following. BetVictor are part of snooker’s success story, bringing tremendous exposure to their brand.
“We look forward to delivering top class events throughout the BetVictor Home Nations and BetVictor European Series in the coming months. The top players will have their eyes on the huge £150,000 bonus, giving them extra incentive to produce their best in every tournament.”
Director of Sportsbook at BetVictor, Matt Scarrott, added: “It’s a pleasure to team up with WST again and we’re really looking forward to what should be two fantastic series.”
This bonus system is clearly there to get the top players on board and to convince them to enter short-format tournaments carrying modest prize money. The short formats are a bit less predictable than the longer ones and it’s no surprise that they get the bookies interest and preference. I would rather have that money used to give the first round losers something to cover their expenses but I doubt that this idea would have the sponsor’s support.
Also those bonuses go to the ones who have already earned the most. It inflates the top earners “numbers”, allowing WST to boast about what the very top players earn. It’s all about the top 5, or even the top 3. It gives a misleading image of the sport as it quite efficiently hides the ongoing struggles of the majority of the tour.
Mark Selby, who, no matter what happens this season, will be number one seed at the Crucible as defending champion, is well ahead of everyone.
I was surprised to see Ronnie as number 2, with a 140000 points cushion ahead of Judd Trump. But of course, Ronnie had an indifferent 2019/20 season until he won the 2020 World Championship, whilst Judd won six titles that season but lost in the QFs at the Crucible.
I was also surprised to find Martin Gould in the top 16 and as high as 13th. He is however only 18500 points ahead of Jordan Brown who is 17th.
As it currently stands Ding and Mark Allen would need to qualify. Ding is only China’s number 3 in that list, behind Yan Bingtao and Zhou Yuelong who are respectively 15th and 16th.
The biggest “shock” for me though was to find Stephen Maguire as low as number 58 in that list. Stephen is currently ranked 9th !!! That’s a serious “free fall”. He got 180000 points from the Coral Cup during the 2019/20 season and will need a good start this season to make sure that he gets the opportunity to defend them. To a lesser extend, the same is true for Mark Allen.
Ronnie of course loses his 500000 points from the 2020 World Championship but is still fourth in the list, with a 174000 cushion on the number 16th, Martin Gould.
Again finding both Gould and Day in the top 16 surprised me. Even more surprising is to find Jordan Brown as high as 13th and that comes from winning just one tournament. Remove the points from 2021 Welsh Open and he would be ranked around the 48th spot.
Do you feel you can turn your ranking around in the second season and retain your place on the World Snooker Tour?
“A lot of my experiences have taught me that it isn’t really about consistency, it isn’t about even having a good season.In order to stay on the tour, you need to win big money and in order to win big money you need to do really well in one tournament.
…
Ultimately the goal is to have a deep run. I want to get to a quarter, semi or a final and experience that buzz. I want to have a crack at winning something like Jordan Brown did at the Welsh Open. I know it is difficult, but it is possible.
The old point system was favouring consistency too much, especially when losing seeds still got ranking points. But I feel it has gone too far the other way around now, and the prize money is too top-heavy.
BTW there is a lot of other interesting stuff in that Peter Delin interview.
But I digress … back to the ranking discussion and to what matters even more than the top 16, the middle part of that list:
Again it came to surprise to me to see players like Gary Wilson, Mark King, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh , Sunny Akani and Michael Holt in the danger zone, whilst Jimmy Robertson, Matthew Stevens and Noppon Saengkham are currently in the relegation zone.
It paints a very bleak picture for the Thai players and Thai snooker. We could have no player from Thailand next season on the tour, despite the enthusiasm for snooker and a rather strong amateur scene in the country.
Veterans Ken Doherty, Anthony Hamilton and Fergal O’Brien are also in the relegation zone. Anthony has been fighting health issues and injuries for a long time and it might well be his last season. I trust Fergal to make a fight of it though. Anyone playing him this season better be ready for long gruelling battles; having sandwiches, thermos and some energy bars at the ready might be a good idea.
Jones enjoyed a strong 2020/21 campaign.
Vafaei is a three-time ranking event semi-finalist.
Trump has won 11 ranking titles over the last two seasons.
Selby’s victory at the Crucible puts him in a strong position.
