(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
China Open Snooker Final Stages Draw Confirmed
The draw and match schedule for the final stages of the China Open has been officially released as the world ranking snooker event returns after seven years.
The tournament will take place in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province (China) from August 8 to August 16, featuring top international players competing for a major ranking title.
Defending Champion Returns
Australia’s Neil Robertson enters the tournament as the defending champion, having won the 2019 final against Jack Lisowski.
He will begin his campaign against Chang Bingyu on August 10.
Key Opening Matches
- World Champion Wu Yize will face Yao Pengcheng on the opening day (August 8)
- Players Anthony McGill and Hossein Vafaei have been drawn against local wild cards before reaching the last 32 stage
Tournament Format & Prize Fund
The final stages will feature:
- 32 players in total
- Matches played over best of 11 frames from the start
- Matches held on two tables simultaneously
- Total prize fund of £1.2 million
China Open History
The China Open is one of snooker’s most prestigious international events, first held in 1999 in Shanghai, where Ronnie O’Sullivan won the inaugural title.
In 2005, the event was held in Beijing and famously won by a young Ding Junhui, who defeated Stephen Hendry, marking a major milestone in the growth of snooker in China.
Event Organizers
The tournament is jointly organized by:
- World Snooker Tour (WST)
- Chinese Billiard Sports Association
- Shanxi Provincial Sports Bureau
- Taiyuan Municipal Government
- Huajian Sports Holding Group
