CHINA OPEN
The world ranking event will run from April 2 to 8 in Beijing with a top prize of £225,000 and a total prize fund of £1 million. That’s almost double last year’s China Open total of £510,000, when the top prize was £85,000. The £225,000 winner’s cheque will only be topped only by the World Championship first prize of £425,000.
The final of the tournament will be best of 21 frames for the first time. It will be televised by CCTV, Eurosport and various other broadcasters worldwide.
The China Open has been staged in the country’s capital every year since 2005. Ding Junhui won the title that year as an 18-year-old, helping to spark a surge of interest in snooker in China. Since then top stars including Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and defending champion Mark Selby have lifted the trophy.