Subsequent week’s Welsh Open will symbolize the final alternative to bag factors on the one-year snooker rankings checklist and qualification for the World Grand Prix.
It had initially been anticipated that the cut-off level could be the World Open, which concludes a number of days earlier than the World Grand Prix commences in Hong Kong subsequent month.
However the World Snooker Tour clarified final week that rating factors earned on the World Open will solely rely in direction of the Race to the Gamers Championship.
Due to this fact, the highest 32 gamers on the one-year snooker rankings checklist following the conclusion of the Welsh Open will acquire an invite to take part on this yr’s World Grand Prix.
Having gathered a staggering £949,200 in prize cash from rating occasions this time period, Judd Trump leads the best way and would be the prime seed in Hong Kong.
Kyren Wilson, who has gained three rating titles throughout a prolific 2024/25 marketing campaign, may even positively function within the profitable competitors.
Certainly, the bulk of the present prime 16 gamers from the official two-year snooker rankings checklist are in line to play on the Kai Tak Area in March.
Reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, latest Masters winner Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, Mark Allen, and Neil Robertson are among the many different marquee names who will safely be concerned.
The one member from the elite top-16 bracket who’s lacking out as issues stands is Luca Brecel.
The Belgian Bullet’s kind has considerably improved not too long ago in comparison with the way it regarded in the beginning of the marketing campaign, when tour survival was extremely even coming into the equation.
Brecel has fewer fears today in the case of retaining his skilled standing for subsequent season, however it doesn’t look promising when it comes to qualifying for the World Grand Prix.
The 29 year-old reached the ultimate of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in December, however the £125,000 he earned in Saudi Arabia gained’t rely in direction of his one-year snooker rankings because the match was categorized as an invitational.
The 2023 world champion languishes down at quantity 58 within the Race to the World Grand Prix standings – £27,100 off Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in thirty second place.
Meaning Brecel requires a run to the ultimate in Wales if he’s to safe a last-gasp spot on the airplane to Hong Kong.
2025 Welsh Open Prize Cash
Champion: £100,000
Runner-up: £45,000
Semi-Finals: £21,000
Quarter-Finals: £13,200
Spherical of 16: £9,000
Spherical of 32: £5,400
Spherical of 64: £3,600
Spherical of 96: £1,000
Highest Break: £5,000
Complete: £550,400
Un-Nooh, in the meantime, will likely be nervously wanting over his shoulder to see if he can hold his place within the lineup after struggling defeat within the Welsh Open qualifiers final week.
Ben Woollaston in thirty first place additionally exited on the preliminary hurdle, placing the Englishman in peril of lacking out as nicely.
The closest challengers to that pair who’re nonetheless within the operating on the Welsh Open are Hossein Vafaei, Matthew Selt, and Ryan Day.
However realistically, any participant who’s within the Welsh Open nonetheless has an opportunity contemplating the £100,000 prime prize that’s obtainable on the Venue Cymru.
China’s Lei Peifan proved that something is feasible by rising with the Scottish Open crown in December whereas ranked because the quantity 84 on the planet.
Stephen Maguire, Noppon Saengkham, Ricky Walden, and Graeme Dott are different acquainted gamers who’re hoping for a deep run at simply the correct time.
The 2025 Welsh Open runs from February tenth to sixteenth with the Ray Reardon Trophy up for grabs in Llandudno.
The draw for the primary levels of the competitors is accessible by clicking right here.
Race to the World Grand Prix
| Provisional 1-Yr Snooker Rankings* | Feb 8, 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judd Trump | £949,200 |
| 2 | Kyren Wilson | £512,400 |
| 3 | Xiao Guodong | £281,500 |
| 4 | Mark Williams | £250,200 |
| 5 | Barry Hawkins | £224,550 |
| 6 | Neil Robertson | £221,650 |
| 7 | Ding Junhui | £211,000 |
| 8 | Si Jiahui | £209,200 |
| 9 | Shaun Murphy | £200,900 |
| 10 | Chris Wakelin | £179,000 |
| 11 | Wu Yize | £176,200 |
| 12 | Mark Selby | £160,000 |
| 13 | Mark Allen | £143,000 |
| 14 | Lei Peifan | £141,000 |
| 15 | John Higgins | £125,550 |
| 16 | Zhang Anda | £112,150 |
| 17 | Jack Lisowski | £108,400 |
| 18 | Jimmy Robertson | £102,600 |
| 19 | Elliot Slessor | £101,850 |
| 20 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | £94,500 |
| 21 | Pang Junxu | £93,400 |
| 22 | Xu Si | £92,050 |
| 23 | David Gilbert | £91,750 |
| 24 | Ali Carter | £89,800 |
| 25 | Stuart Bingham | £89,400 |
| 26 | Yuan Sijun | £86,200 |
| 27 | Tom Ford | £82,950 |
| 28 | Jackson Web page | £76,100 |
| 29 | Jak Jones | £75,300 |
| 30 | Gary Wilson | £72,400 |
| 31 | Ben Woollaston | £67,900 |
| 32 | Thepchaiya Un-Nooh | £65,500 |
| — | — | — |
| 34 | Hossein Vafaei | £64,400 |
| 36 | Ryan Day | £57,800 |
| 41 | Stephen Maguire | £50,750 |
| 58 | Luca Brecel | £38,400 |
Click on right here for the complete update-to-date checklist
(snooker.org)
Featured photograph credit score: WST
