The world's top snooker stars will be turning up the heat in Guangzhou this month as they battle for the 2017 Evergrande China Championship in a city one former world champion believes is the home of snooker in China.
Stuart Bingham was runner-up to John Higgins in the inaugural invitational event held in the Guangzhou Gymnasium last November, and he can't wait to go one better this time around.
"They tell me that Guangzhou is where a lot of the top Chinese players come from," explains the 41-year-old, who was top of the world in 2015 and thinks that may have an impact on the crowds.
"In some Chinese cities snooker is not as popular as others but the crowds were good last year, especially the semis and the final," he recalls. "I've got good memories and I made some good friends there."
Bingham is delighted the snooker calendar has a number of big events in China and he believes the fact the Guangzhou event has ranking status this year adds an extra bit of spice. That said, he knows he faces a tough battle in round one against the latest talented Chinese teenager Yan Bingtao.
"It will be a tough match," he admits, "because he will be a Top-16 player within a couple of years." Yan, 17, became the youngest amateur world champion in 2014 and looks destined for stardom.
While practice and matches come first, Bingham says he enjoyed being in Guangzhou last November.
"It's a lively place and, if my friend comes over from Hong Kong, I hope to see a bit more of it this year," he explains.
This year's event was officially launched last month at a ceremony attended by defending champion Higgins, China's biggest star Ding Junhui and Hong Kong's Marco Fu.
The decision to upgrade the event from an invitational to a world ranking event was announced when Higgins became the inaugural Evergrande champion last year. Qualifiers took place earlier this summer and a strong field is heading to Guangzhou.
World snooker chairman Barry Hearn told worldsnooker.com: "We are thrilled to be working with the promoter Evergrande and the CBSA on this event. Our global calendar gets busier every year and this is a major addition. Alongside our partners in China we are creating a very bright future for the sport."
There will be a liberal sprinkling of home talent in action but also much interest in seeing the game's best players, including current world champion Mark Selby, defending champion Higgins, and former world champions Judd Trump and Neil Robertson.
One of the biggest attractions will certainly be fans' favorite ‘Rocket’ Ronnie O'Sullivan, who begins his campaign against Sam Baird.
The tournament starts on Wednesday, August 16 and will see a total of 70 matches with the final on Tuesday, August 22. In addition to valuable world ranking points, there is also a total prize fund of GBP700,000 (RMB6.2 million) up for grabs, with the winner pocketing GBP150,000 (RMB1.33 million).
When the heat in southern China is at its fiercest, hiding away in an air-conditioned snooker hall is always a good option. It’s even better if you can sit back and enjoy seeing the game played at the highest level. So head to the Guangzhou Sport University Gymnasium this August for some world-class sport.
Aug 16-22, various times. Guangzhou Sport University.
[Photos by Tai Chengzhe]
0 User Comments