February 19th 2024.
The excitement is building as the Players Championship approaches its final day on Sunday night in Telford. The snooker calendar has been jam-packed, with the Welsh Open leading straight into this prestigious tournament. This year, Telford will be hosting the Players Championship for the first time, after it has moved around quite a bit since its inception in 2017.
Only the top 16 players on the one-year ranking list have qualified for this highly-anticipated event, which means that last year's champion, Shaun Murphy, will not be able to defend his title as he did not make the cut. Other notable players who have not made it into the field include Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson, and world champion Luca Brecel, who have all had disappointing campaigns so far. However, fans can still expect to see some top-notch snooker with the likes of Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan leading the pack as the standout players of the season so far.
The opening round of the tournament promises some exciting matchups, with Ding Junhui taking on John Higgins and Mark Williams facing off against Mark Allen in the last 16. Gary Wilson, fresh off his Welsh Open win on Sunday, will be heading straight to Telford to take on Hossein Vafaei in the first round. Meanwhile, Ronnie O'Sullivan, who has already won four titles this season, will be looking to add yet another one to his impressive record.
The tournament will run from Monday, February 19th until the final on Sunday, February 25th. The schedule includes some highly-anticipated matches, such as Judd Trump vs Chris Wakelin and Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Zhou Yuelong. The rest of the schedule can be found on ITV4 and ITV3 for Table One, and on ITVX for Table Two.
The winner of the Players Championship will take home a whopping £125,000, with the runner-up receiving £50,000. The semi-finalists will each take home £30,000, while the quarter-finalists will receive £15,000. Even those who make it to the last 16 will walk away with £10,000. There is also a prize of £10,000 for the player who scores the highest break of the tournament.
In other snooker news, Gary Wilson has added yet another title to his name with his recent Welsh Open win, capping off a "mad few months" for the player. However, there has also been some controversy surrounding the upcoming Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, with Stephen Hendry and Mark Allen questioning its status as the "fourth major" in the sport. As the snooker season continues, fans can look forward to more thrilling matches and exciting moments on the table.
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