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World Open (snooker)

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World Open
Tournament information
VenueYushan Sport Centre
LocationYushan,Jiangxi Province
CountryChina
Established1982
Organisation(s)World Snooker Tour
FormatRankingevent
Total prize fund£815,000
Winner's share£170,000
Recent edition2024
Current championJudd Trump(ENG)

TheWorld Openis a professionalrankingsnookertournament. Throughout its history, the tournament has undergone numerous revamps and name changes. It started out in 1982 as theProfessional Players Tournament,but for most of the 1980s and 1990s it was known as theGrand Prix.It was renamed theLGCupfrom 2001 to 2003 before reverting to theGrand Prixuntil 2010. Since then it has been known as theWorld Open.

During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a uniqueround-robinformat, more similar toassociation footballandrugbytournaments than the knock-out systems usually played in snooker. The knock-out format returned in 2008 with anFA Cup-style draw. The random draw was abandoned after the 2010 edition.Judd Trumpis the reigning champion, having won the tournament the last two times it was held, in 2019 and 2024.

History[edit]

The tournament was created in1982as theProfessional Players Tournamentby theWorld Professional Billiards and Snooker Association,in order to provide another ranking event. Previously, only the World Championship carried ranking points.Ray ReardonbeatJimmy Whiteby 10 frames to 5 in the final to win the first prize of £5,000. Reardon became the oldest winner of a ranking event at the age of 50 years and 14 days. This still remains the record.

In1984Rothmans started sponsoring the tournament, changing its name to theGrand Prix,and moved its venue to theHexagon TheatreinReading.The tournament has had various sponsors and venues since. Previous sponsors includeLG Electronics,who took over in2001and changed the tournament's name to theLG Cup.After LG withdrew their sponsorship, the Grand Prix name was revived for2004and was sponsored bytotesport.Between2006and2008the event was sponsored by Royal London Watches.

The tournament was played at thePreston Guild Hallin1998,at the start of the snooker season, until2005(moving once toTelfordin2000). Prize money for 2005 totalled£400,000, with the winner receiving £60,000.

In its original form, the tournament had a flatter structure than most tournaments, with the top 32 players all coming in at the last 64 stage. In other tournaments there used to be only 16 players left when the players ranked 17–32 come in, and then the 16 winners of those matches face the top 16; this structure is now only used for theWorld Championships.

These facts made it more common to see surprise results than in most other tournaments, with players such asDominic Dale,Marco Fu,Euan HendersonandDave Haroldall surprise finalists at the time. A player from outside the top 16 has reached the final roughly half the times the contest has been played. Few of those have become consistent stars, althoughStephen HendryandJohn Higginstook their first ranking titles in the event. In addition, over the years, many top 16 players were eliminated in the early stages of the contest. Taking the1996event as an extreme case, thirteen of the top sixteen seeds failed to reach the quarter final stages, and the semi-finals featured one match between two top 16 players (Mark WilliamsandJohn Parrott) and another between two unseeded players (Euan HendersonandMark Bennett); with Bennett and Henderson respectively winning the first two quarter final matches, a surprise finalist was guaranteed before the quarter finals had been completed.

The event moved toScotlandat theA.E.C.C.inAberdeenfor 2006, and introduced a brand new format. Players were split into groups (8 groups of 8 in qualifying, 8 groups of 6 in the final stages) and played every other player in their group once. The top 2 players progressed; the last 16 and onwards were played as a straight knock-out.

This resulted in several surprise results. Little-known players such asBen Woollaston,Jamie JonesandIssara Kachaiwongmade it through qualifying, while stars such asGraeme Dott,Stephen HendryandShaun Murphyfailed to clear their groups.

The format was slightly tweaked for2007,after complaints (notably fromDennis Taylor) that the system was too random. Matches increased in length from best-of-5 to best-of-7, to give the better player more chance to win. The main tie-breaker for players level on wins was changed, with frame difference now taking precedence over results between the players who are level on points. Notably, under the 2007 format, 2006 runner-upJamie Copewould have been eliminated in the groups, as he defeated third-placedMichael Holtbut had an inferior frame-difference.

The 2007 event saw fewer surprises, although 2006 World ChampionGraeme Dott,1997 World ChampionKen Doherty,defending championNeil Robertson,seven-time World ChampionStephen Hendry,six-time World ChampionSteve Davis,twice World ChampionMark Williamsand 2007 World Championship finalistMark Selbywere all eliminated in the groups. The format was not continued for 2008, due to dwindling ticket sales in the early rounds.

For2008,the event moved to theScottish Exhibition and Conference Centre(SECC) inGlasgow.It went back to a knock-out format with no round-robin. The last 16 and beyond however was played using anFA Cup-style draw, rather than automatically pitching higher ranked players (or their conquerors) against lower-ranked players. In 2009, the event was held inGlasgow,but at another venue, theKelvin Hall.

FollowingBarry Hearn's takeover of theWorld Professional Billiards and Snooker Association,the Grand Prix was reformatted and renamed toWorld Open.[1]The event gave a chance for amateurs to play alongside professionals.[2]The amateurs had to win 3 matches to qualify for the main draw.[3]On 9 January 2012 it was announced, that the World Open would be held in the next five years inHaikouon theHainan Island.[4]In November 2014, it was announced that the tournament would not be held in the2014/2015 seasonafter the contract with the promoter was not renewed and a new venue was not found in time.[5]The event returned in the2016/2017 seasonand is now held inYushan.[6]Between 2020 and 2023, the event was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2024 season marked the return of the World Open Championship after its closure during the Covid pandemic. In the final match,Judd Trumpfrom England emerged victorious over the home playerDing Junhuiwith a score of 10-4, securing his reigning championship title.[7][8]

Winners[edit]

Year Winner Runner-up Final score Venue City Season
Professional Players Tournament(ranking, 1982–1983)
1982 Ray Reardon(WAL) Jimmy White(ENG) 10–5 La Reserve &
International Snooker Club 		Birmingham,England 1982/83
1983 Tony Knowles(ENG) Joe Johnson(ENG) 9–8 Redwood Lodge Bristol,England 1983/84
Grand Prix(ranking, 1984–2000)
1984 Dennis Taylor(NIR) Cliff Thorburn(CAN) 10–2 Hexagon Theatre Reading,England 1984/85
1985 Steve Davis(ENG) Dennis Taylor(NIR) 10–9 1985/86
1986 Jimmy White(ENG) Rex Williams(ENG) 10–6 1986/87
1987 Stephen Hendry(SCO) Dennis Taylor(NIR) 10–7 1987/88
1988 Steve Davis(ENG) Alex Higgins(NIR) 10–6 1988/89
1989 Steve Davis(ENG) Dean Reynolds(ENG) 10–0 1989/90
1990 Stephen Hendry(SCO) Nigel Bond(ENG) 10–5 1990/91
1991 Stephen Hendry(SCO) Steve Davis(ENG) 10–6 1991/92
1992 Jimmy White(ENG) Ken Doherty(IRL) 10–9 1992/93
1993 Peter Ebdon(ENG) Ken Doherty(IRL) 9–6 1993/94
1994 John Higgins(SCO) Dave Harold(ENG) 9–6 Assembly Rooms Derby,England 1994/95
1995 Stephen Hendry(SCO) John Higgins(SCO) 9–5 Crowtree Centre Sunderland,England 1995/96
1996 Mark Williams(WAL) Euan Henderson(SCO) 9–5 Bournemouth International Centre Bournemouth,England 1996/97
1997 Dominic Dale(WAL) John Higgins(SCO) 9–6 1997/98
1998 Stephen Lee(ENG) Marco Fu(HKG) 9–2 Guild Hall Preston,England 1998/99
1999 John Higgins(SCO) Mark Williams(WAL) 9–8 1999/00
2000 Mark Williams(WAL) Ronnie O'Sullivan(ENG) 9–5 Telford International Centre Telford,England 2000/01
LG Cup(ranking, 2001–2003)
2001 Stephen Lee(ENG) Peter Ebdon(ENG) 9–4 Guild Hall Preston,England 2001/02
2002 Chris Small(SCO) Alan McManus(SCO) 9–5 2002/03
2003 Mark Williams(WAL) John Higgins(SCO) 9–5 2003/04
Grand Prix(ranking, 2004–2009)
2004 Ronnie O'Sullivan(ENG) Ian McCulloch(ENG) 9–5 Guild Hall Preston,England 2004/05
2005 John Higgins(SCO) Ronnie O'Sullivan(ENG) 9–2 Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre Aberdeen,Scotland 2005/06
2006 Neil Robertson(AUS) Jamie Cope(ENG) 9–5 2006/07
2007 Marco Fu(HKG) Ronnie O'Sullivan(ENG) 9–6 2007/08
2008 John Higgins(SCO) Ryan Day(WAL) 9–7 Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Glasgow,Scotland 2008/09
2009 Neil Robertson(AUS) Ding Junhui(CHN) 9–4 Kelvin Hall 2009/10
World Open(ranking, 2010)
2010 Neil Robertson(AUS) Ronnie O'Sullivan(ENG) 5–1 Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Glasgow,Scotland 2010/11
Haikou World Open(ranking, 2012–2014)
2012[9] Mark Allen(NIR) Stephen Lee(ENG) 10–1 Haikou Stadium Haikou,China 2011/12
2013[10] Mark Allen(NIR) Matthew Stevens(WAL) 10–4 Hainan International Convention And Exhibition Center 2012/13
2014[11] Shaun Murphy(ENG) Mark Selby(ENG) 10–6 2013/14
World Open(ranking, 2016–present)
2016[12] Ali Carter(ENG) Joe Perry(ENG) 10–8 Yushan No.1 Middle School Yushan,China 2016/17
2017[13] Ding Junhui(CHN) Kyren Wilson(ENG) 10–3 2017/18
2018[14] Mark Williams(WAL) David Gilbert(ENG) 10–9 2018/19
2019[15] Judd Trump(ENG) Thepchaiya Un-Nooh(THA) 10–5 Yushan Sport Centre 2019/20
2020–2023 Cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic
2024[16] Judd Trump(ENG) Ding Junhui(CHN) 10–4 Yushan Sport Centre Yushan,China 2023/24

Records[edit]

The1985final betweenSteve DavisandDennis Tayloris the longest one-day final in snooker history. It lasted 10 hours and 21 minutes.[17]

In the2005final,John Higginsset two records:

  • Hiscentury breaksin the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth frames marked the first time a player had ever recorded centuries in four consecutive frames in a match during a ranking tournament.[18]
  • He scored 494 points without reply,[19]the greatest number in any professional snooker tournament at that time.[20]CurrentlyRonnie O'Sullivanholds the record with 556 points without reply againstRicky Waldenin the2014 Masters.[21]Stuart Binghamnow owns the unanswered points record in a ranking tournament, scoring 547 points without reply at the 2016 China Open againstSam Baird.

John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams are the only players to have won this tournament four times each.

Media coverage[edit]

The World Open is currently shown live onEurosport.Prior to the event moving to China, it was aired extensively on the BBC, ever since 1984.ITV4televised the event in2013.[22]

References[edit]

General
  • Turner, Chris."Professional Players Tournament, Grand Prix, LG Cup".cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk.Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived fromthe originalon 16 February 2012.Retrieved10 July2012.
  • Turner, Chris."World Open".cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk.Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived fromthe originalon 13 March 2012.Retrieved10 July2012.
  • "Hall of Fame (1982–2010)".Snooker.org.Retrieved22 June2013.
  • "Hall of Fame (2012–2014)".Snooker.org.Retrieved22 June2013.
Special
  1. ^"Hearn reveals future plans".Sky Sports. 2 April 2010.Retrieved3 May2010.
  2. ^"Amateurs to take on pros in World Open snooker".Sports City.Retrieved3 May2010.
  3. ^"Reanne Evans invited to play in snooker World Open".BBC Sport.21 April 2010.Retrieved3 May2010.
  4. ^"Haikou To Stage World Open".worldsnooker.com.World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.Retrieved9 January2012.
  5. ^"World Open Removed From Calendar".worldsnooker.com.World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.7 November 2014.Retrieved12 November2014.
  6. ^Calendar 2016/2017
  7. ^"WORLD OPEN".WST.Retrieved3 April2024.
  8. ^Morris, Ben (26 March 2024)."2024 Snooker World Championship Odds and Breakdown".Gambling Sites.Retrieved3 April2024.
  9. ^"Haikou World Open (2012)".Snooker.org.Retrieved4 March2012.
  10. ^"Yearly Yuan-jiang Gujinggong Liquor Haikou World Open (2013)".Snooker.org.Retrieved11 December2012.
  11. ^"Gujinggong Liquor Haikou World Open (2014)".Snooker.org.Retrieved9 April2013.
  12. ^"Hanteng Autos World Open (2016)".Snooker.org.Retrieved1 August2016.
  13. ^"Yushan World Open (2017)".Snooker.org.Retrieved25 September2017.
  14. ^"HongRuiMa Yushan World Open (2018)".Snooker.org.Retrieved12 August2018.
  15. ^"Zhiyuan Huanbao Yushan World Open (2019)".Snooker.org.Retrieved3 November2019.
  16. ^"World Open (2024)".snooker.org.Retrieved16 October2023.
  17. ^Dee, John (1 May 2001)."Ebdon quick to sit on fence".London:The Sunday Telegraph.Retrieved29 August2009.
  18. ^"John Higgins: 'The Wizard of Wishaw'".stv.tv.Archived fromthe originalon 7 May 2010.Retrieved14 September2010.
  19. ^Chowdhury, Saj (8 May 2007)."Reborn Higgins joins the greats".BBC Sport.Retrieved14 September2010.
  20. ^Everton, Clive."Century-maker Higgins overwhelms O'Sullivan".theguardian.com.Retrieved17 January2014.
  21. ^McGovern, Thomas (17 January 2014)."Awesome O'Sullivan Smashes Record".worldsnooker.com.World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.Retrieved17 January2014.
  22. ^"SNOOKER: ITV4 to screen 2013 Haikou World Open – Sport On The Box".
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