As an 18-year-old Ding Junhui completed a break of 103 to defeat Stephen Hendry 9-5 and win his first ranking title at the China Open back in 2005, few could have imagined the size of the imprint that his victory would have upon the sport globally.

Even now, nearly 13 years on, the legacy of his achievement remains clear following the announcement of a historic new agreement between World Snooker, the official National Governing Body in China the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) and the promoters Beijing Fuhua Culture Tourism Development Ltd. Co and Star Xing Pai, which will see the same tournament break the £1m barrier for total prize money for the first time. This will see the prestigious event become the most lucrative tournament outside of the World Championship.