We are at the stage of the season where all roads are pointing towards the World Championship, but one major tournament that will take place before then is the World Grand Prix.
Reserved for just the top 32 players in the world, it is a sign of the times as for the first time the tournament is being taken out of the UK and will be staged in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has quickly become one of snooker’s most sought after destinations with crowds of 9,000 people recently attending an exhibition where Ronnie O’Sullivan was able to showcase his skills. It was the largest crowd to have ever attended a life snooker event.
With more and more tournaments taking place in Asia and the Middle East, several of the best players in the world now call Hong Kong home. Judd Trump now resides in the city and Ronnie O’Sullivan has also recently gained his residency.
£180,000 is up for grabs for the winner of the tournament and with it proving to be a vital milestone on the road to the World Championship, tournament organisers received a great boost when O’Sullivan officially announced that he would be taking his place in the field and hopefully defend the title he won in 2024.
It was the last of the 41 ranking titles that he has been able to win, but after pulling out of his last eight events, O’Sullivan announced his comeback much to the delight of his fans.
"I am really looking forward to coming to Hong Kong to play in the World Grand Prix, I have been having a little break, to keep myself fresh. I am excited to see you all."
Ahead of Bid For an Eighth World Championship Crown, O’Sullivan Needs to Play Matches
It says something of just how great O’Sullivan is that despite having not really played a meaningful match in months, the Rocket is still the second favourite in the betting for the 2025 World Championship with only Judd Trump ahead of him.
It’s always dangerous to write off someone with O’Sullivan’s ability. Regarded as the greatest player to have ever played the sport, nobody has won more ranking titles than the Rocket and many believed that an eighth world championship was inevitable. However after a largely frustrating 9 months, those claims don’t look so rock solid.
O’Sullivan has always had a love / hate relationship with the sport. For years we have come to experience that O’Sullivan has highs and lows, but the lows rarely last for this long. He has made no secret of the fact that what keeps him going isn’t the pursuit of titles, but instead money, but even with the massive purses on offer for winning tournaments, his time at the top of the sport seems to be on borrowed time as he has visibly struggled to remain motivated.
The game comes easily to O’Sullivan, able to pull off every shot in the game with ease, whereas his rivals have to practice and practice, the seven time World Champion can just turn it on with a flick of the switch and his fans all over the world will be hoping he can do that in a few weeks time as he will need to.
With the draw for the World Grand Prix having already been made, O’Sullivan’s matchup against young Chinese sensation Si Jiahui is the clash of the first round and the Rocket will have to be at his very best if he is to advance.
Whereas in the past O’Sullivan may have been off the table for months but still being able to compete, world snooker is much different these days.
With the game expanding all of the time, the World Snooker Tour is a tough schooling ground where only the very best survive. At 22, Jiahui is one of the games best talents but he already has the experience of a grizzled veteran and a match up against O’Sullivan will certainly hold no fears for the young Chinese star who beat the Rocket the last time the two played.
A matchup against such a special talent in the opening round will be a great benchmark for O’Sullivan to compare himself against. If he wins, then yet again he would have proved exactly why many believe he is the greatest of all time, a defeat could send him straight back to the drawing board and in need of more matches before he tries to create history one more time at the World Championship.
Judd Trump Looking to Avenge His Final Defeat and Announce Himself as The Man to Beat at The Crucible
Whereas O’Sullivan will head to the Crucible potentially short on match practice, one man who will definitely be tuned up and ready to go will be world number one, Judd Trump.
Trump is amassing a career that will see him end his playing career right at the top of the sport, but the one area he will greatly need to improve is his form at the Crucible.
Careers and legacies are formed at the World Championships and as at it stands Trump’s solitary victory isn’t enough for him to be regarded as an all-time great and nobody else will arrive at Sheffield with as much to prove as the world number one.
With every match providing the perfect opportunity for Trump to play himself into his very best form, he will be hoping to use the World Grand Prix as a springboard to a second World Championship and the signs look positive.
Having won the tournament three times, he has also lost in the final in both 2023 and 2024 and he will be determined to go one place better this time around.
A native of Hong Kong it’s fair to say he feels at home in his surroundings and is relishing the opportunity that lay ahead of him.
‘I have such a good record in this tournament, so to play in Hong Kong will be so special, I think I’ll be more nervous than playing in the World Championship, because I will have the fans on my side. Ifeel like the people in Hong Kong really get behind and support me.When you have someone trying to represent Hong Kong like I do, I hope that comes off in the way that I’m able to carry myself and I hope to make Hong Kong proud.’
Trump will kick off his campaign against Gary Wilson and if he can get the job done under a huge weight of expectation from an expectant Hong Kong crowd, expect him to go all way by the time the World Championship rolls around.
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Jonathan Ashby
Jonathan Ashby, at 35, boasts a deep well of knowledge about the world of snooker. A specialist with a passion for the game's history, techniques, and players, he provides invaluable insights to both novices and seasoned enthusiasts. Through his articles, Jonathan aims to share the rich tapestry and nuances of this beloved cue sport.
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