2024 World Snooker Championship
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 20 April – 6 May 2024 (2024-04-20 – 2024-05-06) |
| Venue | Crucible Theatre |
| City | Sheffield |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | World Snooker Tour |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Defending champion |  Luca Brecel (BEL) |
← 2023 | |
Snooker tournament
The 2024 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship) is an upcoming professional snooker tournament that will take place from 20 April to 6 May 2024 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 48th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship will be staged at the venue. The qualifying rounds will take place from 8 to 17 April at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The 17th and final ranking event of the 2023–24 snooker season, it is organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by car retailer Cazoo. The event will be broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, Eurosport, and Discovery+, as well as by other broadcasters worldwide.
Belgian player Luca Brecel is the defending champion, having defeated England's Mark Selby 18–15 in the 2023 final.
Background
The final of the first World Snooker Championship took place in 1927 at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham, England, and was won by Joe Davis.[1] Staged annually until 1940, the tournament was not held from 1941–45 due to World War II and went into decline in the post-war era; the 1952 event was contested by only two players and was replaced by the World Professional Match-play Championship, which was also discontinued in 1957. Joe Davis won the first 15 World Championships, held from 1927 to 1946, and is the only undefeated player in the tournament's history.[2]
Revived on a challenge basis in 1964, the World Championship reverted to an annual knockout tournament in 1969, which marked the beginning of the championship's "modern era".[3][4] In 1977, the tournament was first staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, where it has remained since.[5][6] Scotland's Stephen Hendry and England's Ronnie O'Sullivan are the most successful players in the World Championship's modern era, each having won the title seven times.[7] Hendry is the tournament's youngest winner, having captured his first title in 1990, aged 21 years and 106 days.[8] O'Sullivan is the oldest winner, having secured his seventh title in 2022, aged 46 years and 148 days.[9]
The 2024 event (officially the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship) is organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored for the second time by British car retailer Cazoo.[10] It will mark the 48th consecutive year that the tournament is held at the Crucible, and the 56th successive year that the World Championship is contested through the modern knockout format.[6][11][12] Belgian player Luca Brecel is the defending champion, having defeated England's Mark Selby 18–15 in the 2023 final to win his first world title. The first winner from mainland Europe, Brecel is the fourth World Champion in the modern era from outside the United Kingdom, following Canada's Cliff Thorburn in 1980, Ireland's Ken Doherty in 1997, and Australia's Neil Robertson in 2010.[13] At the 2024 event, he will attempt to overcome the Crucible curse, which refers to the failure of any first-time winner to retain the title since the tournament moved to the Crucible in 1977.[14]
Format
Qualifying will take place from 8 to 17 April 2024 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, England.[15] A total of 128 players—including professional players outside the top 16 of the snooker world rankings and selected amateurs[15]—will compete over four qualifying rounds, with higher-ranked players seeded through to the second or third round. Players from the 2023 Q School Order of Merit will replace any current professionals who do not enter the qualifying rounds.[15]
The 16 successful qualifiers will advance to the tournament's main stage, which will be held from 20 April to 6 May at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Prior to the first round, the 16 qualifiers will be drawn randomly against the top 16 players in the world rankings, who will be seeded for the event per their standing following the 2024 Tour Championship.[16][17]
All qualifying matches and first-round matches will be played as the best of 19 frames, played over two sessions. Second-round matches and quarter-finals will be the best of 25 frames, played over three sessions. Semi-finals will be the best of 33 frames and the final will be the best of 35 frames, played over four sessions.[18][19]
Prize fund
In addition to the highest break prize, any player making two maximum breaks during the season's Triple Crown events will receive a £147,000 bonus.[20] Xu Si made a maximum during the 2023 UK Championship qualifying rounds.[21] Ding Junhui and Mark Allen both made maximums at the 2024 Masters.[22][23]
Summary
Qualifying
The seven-time champion Stephen Hendry, who had rejoined the professional tour in 2021 after nine years in retirement, chose not to enter the qualifiers for the 2024 tournament.[24] The decision meant that he finished a second consecutive season without recording any wins in professional competition.[25] Hendry had previously opted not to enter the qualifiers for the 2022 event,[26] and lost in the first qualifying round at the 2023 event.[27]
Main Stage
On 19 April, the evening before the main stage begins, Hendry and comedian Mark Watson will host a live edition of the official World Snooker Tour podcast Snooker Club at the Crucible Theatre, where they will be joined by top snooker players and celebrity guests.[28]
Main draw
The draw for the tournament is shown below. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the players' seeding, and players in bold denote match winners. First-round matches will be played as the best of 19 frames, played over two sessions. Second-round matches and quarter-finals will be the best of 25 frames, played over three sessions. Semi-finals will be the best of 33 frames and the final will be the best of 35 frames, played over four sessions.[29][30]
| Round 1 (Last 32) Best of 19 frames | Round 2 (Last 16) Best of 25 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 25 frames | Semi-finals Best of 33 frames | Final Best of 35 frames | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Luca Brecel (BEL) (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Robert Milkins (ENG) (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 April & 1 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 [[]] () (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2, 3 & 4 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Selby (ENG) (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kyren Wilson (ENG) (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 April & 1 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 John Higgins (SCO) (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 & 6 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tom Ford (ENG) (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 April & 1 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2, 3 & 4 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 April & 1 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barry Hawkins (ENG) (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[]] () (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Qualifying draw
The qualifying rounds will take place from 8 to 17 April 2024 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The draw is shown below. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the players' seeding, an "a" indicates amateur players who are not on the main World Snooker Tour, and "f" indicates female players. Players in bold denote match winners.[31][18]
| Round 1 (Last 144) Best of 19 frames | Round 2 (Last 112) Best of 19 frames | Round 3 (Last 80) Best of 19 frames | Round 4 (Last 48) Best of 19 frames | |||||||||||
| Martin Gould (ENG) (81) |  Liu Hongyu (CHN) (80) | Jack Lisowski (ENG) (17) | ||||||||||||
| Jimmy White (ENG) (119) | ||||||||||||||
 Ryan Thomerson (AUS) (112) | Jimmy Robertson (ENG) (49) |  Matthew Stevens (WAL) (48) | ||||||||||||
| Liam Davies (WAL) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Ian Burns (ENG) (96) | Mark Joyce (ENG) (65) | Ricky Walden (ENG) (32) | ||||||||||||
| Dean Young (SCO) (116) | ||||||||||||||
 Andy Lee (HKG) (97) | Mark Davis (ENG) (64) |  Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (THA) (33) | ||||||||||||
| Andrew Pagett (WAL) (114) | ||||||||||||||
 Rory Thor (MAS) (104) | David Grace (ENG) (57) | Dominic Dale (WAL) (40) | ||||||||||||
 Hamza Ilyas (PAK) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Ross Muir (SCO) (89) | He Guoqiang (CHN) (72) | Anthony McGill (SCO) (25) | ||||||||||||
| Cheung Ka Wai (HKG) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Alfie Burden (ENG) (105) | Xu Si (CHN) (56) | Jamie Jones (WAL) (41) | ||||||||||||
| Rebecca Kenna (ENG) (126) (f) | ||||||||||||||
 Ishpreet Singh Chadha (IND) (88) | Zak Surety (ENG) (73) | Neil Robertson (AUS) (24) | ||||||||||||
| Gao Yang (CHN) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Sean O'Sullivan (ENG) (85) | James Cahill (ENG) (76) | Zhou Yuelong (CHN) (21) | ||||||||||||
 Bulcsú Révész (HUN) (a) | ||||||||||||||
 Andres Petrov (EST) (108) | Jamie Clarke (WAL) (53) | Jak Jones (WAL) (44) | ||||||||||||
 Ahmed Aly Elsayed (USA) (124) | ||||||||||||||
| Adam Duffy (ENG) (92) | Ashley Hugill (ENG) (69) | Stephen Maguire (SCO) (28) | ||||||||||||
| Mink Nutcharut (THA) (117) (f) | ||||||||||||||
| Andrew Higginson (ENG) (101) | Michael White (WAL) (60) | Yuan Sijun (CHN) (37) | ||||||||||||
| Duane Jones (WAL) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Louis Heathcote (ENG) (100) | Oliver Lines (ENG) (61) | Elliot Slessor (ENG) (36) | ||||||||||||
| Oliver Sykes (ENG) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Stuart Carrington (ENG) (93) | Liam Highfield (ENG) (68) | Stuart Bingham (ENG) (29) | ||||||||||||
| Himanshu Jain (IND) (118) | ||||||||||||||
 Alexander Ursenbacher (SUI) (109) | Anthony Hamilton (ENG) (52) | Robbie Williams (ENG) (45) | ||||||||||||
 Iulian Boiko (UKR) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Allan Taylor (ENG) (84) |  Lukas Kleckers (GER) (77) | Chris Wakelin (ENG) (20) | ||||||||||||
 Vladislav Gradinari (MDA) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Marco Fu (HKG) (83) |  Ken Doherty (IRL) (78) |  Hossein Vafaei (IRN) (19) | ||||||||||||
| Baipat Siripaporn (THA) (125) (f) | ||||||||||||||
| Jiang Jun (CHN) (110) | Fan Zhengyi (CHN) (51) | Sam Craigie (ENG) (46) | ||||||||||||
| Amir Sarkhosh (IRN) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Hammad Miah (ENG) (94) | Julien Leclercq (BEL) (67) | Joe O'Connor (ENG) (30) | ||||||||||||
| Haydon Pinhey (ENG) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Muhammad Asif (PAK) (99) | w/d | Aaron Hill (IRL) (62) | Matthew Selt (ENG) (35) | |||||||||||
| Daniel Womersley (ENG) (a) | w/o | Daniel Womersley (ENG) (a) | ||||||||||||
| Ma Hailong (CHN) (102) | Martin O'Donnell (ENG) (59) | Cao Yupeng (CHN) (38) | ||||||||||||
 Victor Sarkis (BRA) (122) | ||||||||||||||
| Oliver Brown (ENG) (91) | Dylan Emery (WAL) (70) | Pang Junxu (CHN) (27) | ||||||||||||
| Reanne Evans (ENG) (120) (f) | ||||||||||||||
| Fergal O'Brien (IRL) (107) | Graeme Dott (SCO) (54) | Jackson Page (WAL) (43) | ||||||||||||
 Mostafa Dorgham (EGY) (123) | ||||||||||||||
| Long Zehuang (CHN) (86) | Andy Hicks (ENG) (75) | Noppon Saengkham (THA) (22) | ||||||||||||
| Sydney Wilson (ENG) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Rod Lawler (ENG) (87) | Ben Mertens (BEL) (74) | Si Jiahui (CHN) (23) | ||||||||||||
| Gong Chenzhi (CHN) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Stan Moody (ENG) (106) | Tian Pengfei (CHN) (55) | Wu Yize (CHN) (42) | ||||||||||||
 Mohamed Shehab (UAE) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Xing Zihao (CHN) (90) | Daniel Wells (WAL) (71) | Lyu Haotian (CHN) (26) | ||||||||||||
| Michael Holt (ENG) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Jenson Kendrick (ENG) (103) | Ben Woollaston (ENG) (58) |  Jordan Brown (NIR) (39) | ||||||||||||
| Bai Yulu (CHN) (a) (f) | ||||||||||||||
| Liam Pullen (ENG) (98) | Sanderson Lam (ENG) (63) | Xiao Guodong (CHN) (34) | ||||||||||||
| Anton Kazakov (UKR) (113) | ||||||||||||||
| Peng Yisong (CHN) (95) | David Lilley (ENG) (66) | David Gilbert (ENG) (31) | ||||||||||||
| Manasawin Phetmalaikul (THA) (121) | ||||||||||||||
| Mohamed Ibrahim (EGY) (111) | Scott Donaldson (SCO) (50) | Joe Perry (ENG) (47) | ||||||||||||
| Peter Lines (ENG) (a) | ||||||||||||||
| Ashley Carty (ENG) (82) | John Astley (ENG) (79) | Ryan Day (WAL) (18) | ||||||||||||
| Liam Graham (SCO) (115) | ||||||||||||||
References
- ^ Turner, Chris (2008). "World Professional Championship". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Joe Davis, a snooker champion who retired unbeaten, Was 77". The New York Times. 11 July 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Nunns, Hector; Hendon, David. "Full history". WPBSA. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Wright, Joe (30 April 2023). "Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Betfred World Championship". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ a b "World Snooker Championship in Sheffield". Sheffield City Council. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "World Snooker Championship 2022: Ronnie O'Sullivan plays down record-equalling seventh title". BBC Sport. 2 May 2022. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Millington, Sarah (2 February 2024). "Looking back to 1990: when Stephen Hendry became a snooker champion". News and Star. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Hammer, Chris (22 January 2024). "Ronnie O'Sullivan's career statistics and records as he targets an eighth World Snooker Championship title at the Crucible". Sporting Life. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "2024 Cazoo World Championship nearing sell out". World Snooker Tour. 1 May 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "History of the World Snooker Championship". World Snooker Tour. 2 March 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (1 May 2023). "Brilliant Brecel beats Selby for first world crown". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Hendon, Dave (4 March 2024). "Can Luca Brecel break 'infamous curse' at 'ultimate challenge' of Crucible? Dave Hendon previews World Championship". Eurosport. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "WPBSA qualifiers announced for 2024 Cazoo World Championship". World Snooker Tour. 7 March 2024. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Race to the Crucible". WPBSA. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Provisional Crucible seedings 2023/2024". snooker.org. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b "World Championship Qualifiers (2024)". snooker.org. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Cazoo World Championship (2024)". snooker.org. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "£147,000 bonus offered for Triple Crown maximums". World Snooker Tour. 16 November 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Xu Si joins 147 club". World Snooker Tour. 19 November 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Ding makes second Masters maximum". World Snooker Tour. 8 January 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Pistol fires in 147". World Snooker Tour. 12 January 2024. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Sharland, Pete (27 March 2024). "Stephen Hendry won't enter World Championship qualifying, place on tour uncertain - 'I'm not going to bother'". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Haigh, Phil (27 March 2024). "Stephen Hendry decides not to play World Snooker Championship qualifying". Metro. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Is Stephen Hendry set to quit comeback after opting out of 2022 World Snooker Championship? Will Scotsman retire again?". Eurosport. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "World Snooker Championship: Stephen Hendry loses to James Cahill in qualifying". BBC Sport. 6 April 2023. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Snooker Club live at The Crucible!". World Snooker Tour. 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Matches". World Snooker Tour. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Flowchart (World Championship 2024)". snooker.org. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Matches". World Snooker Tour. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
External links
- Official website
