Louis Heathcote is just one of the many talented snooker players eager to kick off their season with a bang. Although the upcoming qualifiers may not be as prestigious as the main events, they are crucial in shaping the players' performance for the rest of the year. The 10-day qualifying period, which includes the Xi'an Grand Prix, the Wuhan Open, and the British Open, will take place in Leicester. This is an opportunity for players to prove their skills and secure a strong start to the season. However, a poor performance could result in unwanted gaps in their schedule and a lack of prize money.
For Michael Holt, this week holds a lot of importance as he faces three challenging matches against Pang Junxu, Shaun Murphy, and Reanne Evans. He understands the significance of these events and the impact they can have on his season. "They're big events, the two in China and the British, absolutely it's a big week," he shared. "If you can come out with three wins, that's a brilliant start. Of course, it can go the other way, but you've got to try not to think about that. A good start sets you up for a great season, and even if you haven't played your best, wins can do wonders for your confidence."
Louis Heathcote, currently ranked 72nd in the world, is also eager to start his season on a high note. He narrowly missed out on a debut at the Crucible last season, and he's been working hard to qualify for the Chinese events, which offer significant financial rewards. "It's crucial to get a good start to the season and not have to chase wins," he said. "It's nice to qualify early so you have something to look forward to. Especially with the first two being China events, if you qualify for them, you're in a good spot. You need to win two matches at the Home Nations for the same money as one in the China events. I've been practicing hard, and I'm ready to go."
Heathcote's first match is against David Lilley, followed by Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Ryan Day in the main arena of the British Open. "There are no easy draws," he acknowledged. "Obviously, you'd prefer to play someone ranked around 50-60, but even then, they're still tough matches. I have three very different opponents, and I just have to focus on my own game."
Meanwhile, Holt and Heathcote's fellow player, Liam Davies, is facing a tough challenge as he goes up against Ricky Walden, Kyren Wilson, and Barry Hawkins. "It's brilliant to play against the best," he said, but Holt disagreed, saying, "I've always been one to hear people say, 'oh, I want to play the best players.' No. I don't. I don't mind playing them in a final with all your family there, happy days, but you don't want them in the first round. Although, to be fair, I'm just buzzing to be back on tour, I don't really care who I play. I've beaten them all before, and I can do it again."
Some of the biggest names in snooker, including Judd Trump, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Neil Robertson, and Luca Brecel, will also be competing in the qualifiers in Leicester. These players are looking to secure a spot in the main stages, which will take place from 19 August. Fans can watch the qualifiers on World Snooker Tour's Facebook page.
Although no trophies will be lifted and no legends will be made, these qualifiers hold a lot of importance for the players. They will determine who moves on to the next stage and who will have to wait for another opportunity to compete. The schedule for the Xi'an Grand Prix qualifiers is as follows:
Thursday 25 July:
10am
He Guoqiang vs Ashley Carty
Fan Zhengyi vs Sunny Akani
Jamie Jones vs Mostafa Dorgham
Martin O'Donnell vs Ma Hailong
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Lei Peifan
Scott Donaldson vs Lim Kok Leong
Xiao Guodong vs Iulian Boiko
2.30pm
John Higgins vs Alexander Ursenbacher
David Grace vs Bulcsu Revesz
Joshua Thomond vs Amir Sarkhosh
Robbie Williams vs Artemijs Zizins
Jordan Brown vs Liam Pullen
Simon Blackwell vs Ben Mertens
Ryan Day vs Cheung Ka Wai
7pm
Neil Robertson vs Allan Taylor
Hossein Vafaei vs Ahmed Aly Elsayed
Jackson Page vs Dylan Emery
Jack Lisowski vs Ross Muir
David Gilbert vs Reanne Evans
Dominic Dale vs Mohammed Mustafa Shehab
Matthew Stevens vs Andrew Higginson
Friday 26 July:
10am
Elliot Slessor vs M Phetmalaikul
Chris Wakelin vs Rory Thor
Xu Si vs Jiang Jun
Yuan Sijun vs Bai Yulu
Anthony Hamilton vs Gong Chenzhi
Tian Pengfei vs Farakh Ajaib
Joe Perry vs Mink Nutcharut
2.30pm
Tom Ford vs Stan Moody
Joe O'Connor vs Duane Jones
Sanderson Lam vs Zak Surety
Luca Brecel vs Hammad Miah
Jak Jones vs Robbie McGuigan
Wu Yize vs Stuart Carrington
Pang Junxu vs Michael Holt
7pm
Ricky Walden vs Liam Davies
Mark Williams vs Liam Graham
Matthew Selt vs Ian Burns
Ali Carter vs Daniel Wells
Barry Hawkins vs Kreishh Gurbaxani
David Lilley vs Louis Heathcote
Saturday 27 July:
10am
Anthony McGill vs Xing Zihao
Jimmy Robertson vs Huang Jiahao
Mark Davis vs Ishpreet Singh Chadha
Lyu Haotian vs Baipat Siripaporn
Noppon Saengkham vs Andrew Pagett
Ben Woollaston vs Julien Leclercq
Zhou Yuelong vs Haydon Pinhey
2.30pm
Robert Milkins vs Dean Young
Si Jiahui vs Jimmy White
Judd Trump vs Antoni Kowalski
Gary Wilson vs Long Zehuang
Aaron Hill vs Chris Totten
Shaun Murphy vs Mitchell Mann
Stephen Maguire vs Ken Doherty
The Xi'an Grand Prix offers a significant prize money for the players, with the winner receiving £177,000 and the runner-up earning £76,000. The full breakdown of the prize money is as follows:
Winner: £177,000
Runner-up: £76,000
Semi-final: £34,500
Quarter-final: £22,350
Last 16: £14,000
Last 32: £9,400
Last 64: £5,350
