Final week’s Welsh Open in Llandudno supplied the ultimate alternative for gamers to safe a spot within the 2025 World Grand Prix snooker draw.
Solely the highest 32 gamers on the one-year rankings listing qualify for the profitable rating occasion, which will likely be transferring to Hong Kong for the primary time this yr.
For the final variety of campaigns, the World Grand Prix has been the primary match in a sequence of three the place the attracts comprise gamers from the one-year rankings.
As the following Gamers and Tour Championships boast solely 16 and 12-player fields respectively, the World Grand Prix has tended to hold the weakest standing by way of status.
However there’s a considerably unusual state of affairs this season whereby the champion in Hong Kong will truly obtain greater than the winner of the opposite two occasions.
A hefty sum price £180,000 will likely be on provide for the competitor who emerges with the World Grand Prix crown in 2025.
That eclipses the £150,000 that will likely be awarded to the champion at each the Gamers Championship in Telford and the Tour Championship in Manchester.
With 4,000 followers anticipated on the Kai Tak Sports activities Park, the World Grand Prix has actually turn into a fixture on the calendar that no person desires to overlook.
The vast majority of the highest 16 gamers from the official two-year rankings had already safeguarded their tickets to Hong Kong previous to the Welsh Open.
Gary Wilson was the reigning champion on the Venue Cymru however was upset within the first spherical, placing his World Grand Prix hopes in jeopardy.
However the Englishman held on to the thirty second and remaining spot on the listing, along with his reward a gathering with prime seed and this season’s cash chief Judd Trump.
The very best-profile cueist who didn’t handle to qualify was Luca Brecel.
The Belgian Bullet had been struggling to interrupt inside the highest 100 on the one-year listing towards the tip of 2024, so the truth that he acquired to inside one win of breaking into the highest 32 was spectacular.
Brecel would have been within the lineup had he crushed Mark Selby within the semi-finals of the Welsh Open, however he finally got here up simply quick.
Hossein Vafaei, in the meantime, was the unlucky participant who completed in thirty third place – the Iranian left to rue an early exit within the final 32 in Wales.
Vafaei would presumably be the subsequent in line to take up a slot within the World Grand Prix draw ought to one of many different contenders pull out.
The 30 year-old will maybe then be hoping Ronnie O’Sullivan continues his latest pattern of withdrawing from tournaments on the snooker schedule.
Regardless of having not performed in a rating occasion since struggling defeat within the first spherical of the UK Championship, the Rocket had already nonetheless achieved sufficient to function within the prime 32.
If O’Sullivan has aspirations of competing on the Gamers and Tour Championships, although, his participation within the upcoming World Open and the following World Grand Prix will likely be a should.
The Englishman is, the truth is, the reigning World Grand Prix champion and is because of start his defence in opposition to Si Jiahui in a mouthwatering conflict as issues stand.
Elsewhere, reigning world champion Kyren Wilson will encounter Matthew Selt whereas Welsh Open winner Mark Selby will meet Jackson Web page.
Stephen Maguire, whose run to the ultimate final week helped him to seal qualification, will face outdated foe Shaun Murphy in a blockbuster first-round battle.
The 2025 World Grand Prix will happen from March 4th to March ninth, with the complete first-round draw beneath.
2025 World Grand Prix draw
Spherical of 32 (bo7)
Judd Trump (1) vs Gary Wilson (32)
Jack Lisowski (16) vs Zhang Anda (17)
Si Jiahui (9) vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (24)
Ding Junhui (8) vs Xu Si (25)
Mark Williams (5) vs Stuart Bingham (28)
Wu Yize (12) vs Pang Junxu (21)
Mark Allen (13) vs Jimmy Robertson (20)
Mark Selby (4) vs Jackson Web page (29)
Xiao Guodong (3) vs Jak Jones (30)
Lei Peifan (14) vs Elliot Slessor (19)
Chris Wakelin (11) vs David Gilbert (22)
Neil Robertson (6) vs Yuan Sijun (27)
Barry Hawkins (7) vs Tom Ford (26)
Shaun Murphy (10) vs Stephen Maguire (23)
John Higgins (15) vs Ali Carter (18)
Kyren Wilson (2) vs Matthew Selt (31)
Featured picture credit score: WST
