It’s the primary month of 2024, so let’s check out a number of the key snooker occasions that will probably be happening in January.
It was an thrilling finish to 2023, with loads of silverware claimed in the course of the month of December.
Ronnie O’Sullivan captured the UK Championship in York for a record-extending eighth time.
Quickly after, Mark Allen turned the primary present member of the highest 16 to win the unpredictable Snooker Shoot Out.
Gary Wilson subsequently defended the Scottish Open title in Edinburgh earlier than the calendar 12 months concluded with a batch of qualifiers for the German Masters.
Within the month of January, there will probably be extra massive prizes up for grabs, together with one of the vital prestigious snooker titles.
The Masters
(January 7-14)
Typically now thought-about the second most essential event on the schedule, the 2024 Masters takes place subsequent week in London.
As traditional, the highest 16 from the official world rankings record have been invited to take part on the Alexandra Palace.
Judd Trump is the defending champion and can hope to increase his reign when he performs Kyren Wilson in spherical one.
World primary Ronnie O’Sullivan has drawn Ding Junhui, the identical participant he beat within the ultimate to win the UK crown a month in the past.
World champion Luca Brecel faces Jack Lisowski whereas Mark Allen, Mark Selby, and Neil Robertson are just a few of the others marquee names concerned.
A full preview of the event will probably be accessible on SnookerHQ.com forward of Sunday’s opening day.
This 12 months’s Masters champion will gather a cool cheque price £250,000.
2024 Masters snooker draw
Final 16 (bo11)
Matches to be performed from Sunday, Jan 7 to Wednesday, Jan 10. Occasions in UTC.
Judd Trump vs Kyren Wilson (Tues, 1pm)
Mark Williams vs Ali Carter (Mon, 7pm)
Mark Selby vs Robert Milkins (Wed, 7pm)
Mark Allen vs John Higgins (Wed, 1pm)
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ding Junhui (Mon, 1pm)
Neil Robertson vs Barry Hawkins (Tues, 7pm)
Shaun Murphy vs Zhang Anda (Solar, 7pm)
Luca Brecel vs Jack Lisowski (Solar, 1pm)
Quarter-Finals (bo11)
Matches to be performed on Jan 11 and Jan 12
Semi-Finals (bo11)
Matches to be performed on Jan 13
Last (bo19)
Match to be performed on Jan 14
World Grand Prix
(January 15-21)
Instantly following the Masters would be the World Grand Prix, the primary of three occasions on the Gamers Sequence.
The highest 32 opponents from the one-year rankings – based mostly on cash earned in the course of the 2023/24 snooker season – have certified.
That features Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan, the highest two seeds who will signify the 2 bookies favourites in Leicester.
Luca Brecel, Neil Robertson, and Kyren Wilson are among the many high-profile cueists who’ve missed out, nonetheless, after disappointing durations of type on the tour.
The World Grand Prix, gained final 12 months by Mark Allen, carries a prime prize price £100,000.
German Masters
(January 29 to February 4)
A qualifying part for the German Masters was held in December, however the principle occasion commences in direction of the top of January in Berlin.
The highest eight seeds have had their preliminary fixtures held over to the venue phases on the Tempodrom.
The German Masters would be the penultimate occasion on this time period’s BetVictor Sequence.
Judd Trump leads the best way in these rankings, with the best earner after the eight counting tournaments touchdown a £150,000 bonus.
The highest prize for the German Masters itself is £80,000, with Ali Carter returning because the defending champion.
Championship League Snooker
(January 2-5)
The primary piece of snooker motion for 2024 begins on the very begin of January with the invitational model of Championship League Snooker.
Group 1 takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Group 2 following on Thursday and Friday.
Kyren Wilson, Stuart Bingham, Ryan Day, Gary Wilson, Chris Wakelin, Robert Milkins, and Noppon Saengkham are the primary seven gamers to enter the fray.
Mark Selby, Ali Carter, and Zhang Anda are set to affix the competitors in Group 2.
As traditional, the seven group winners will enter the Winners’ Group in March to find out the general champion.
What different snooker occasions are on in January?
There’s loads of snooker motion on the Q Tour this month.
The beginner snooker circuit heads to Bulgaria for Q Tour 6 from January 5-7, and there are three tournaments on the World Q Tour as effectively.
Center East Q Tour 1 (Jan 4-10), Center East Q Tour 2 (Jan 11-17), and Center East Q Tour 3 (Jan 18-24) will all be held on the Cue Sports activities Academy in Abu Dhabi.
Again on the World Snooker Tour, there will probably be a batch of qualifiers for the World Open (Jan 22-24) and the Welsh Open (Jan 25-27).
On the World Ladies’s Snooker Tour, the Belgian Ladies’s Open runs from January 19-21 in Bruges.
The Albanian Ladies’s Open then takes locations from January 29 to February 2 in Golem.
There are a number of different beginner occasions taking place throughout January, with Snooker Hub providing an ideal useful resource to search out native competitions throughout the UK.
If you realize of any extra tournaments being staged around the globe in January, tell us within the feedback part beneath.
Featured picture credit score: WST