2 minutes The battle for the number one spot intensifies as O'Sullivan and Trump head into the Tour Championship, confirmed for 1-7 April, with high stakes.
The upcoming Tour Championship in Manchester, featuring 12 elite snooker players, will play a pivotal role in determining the top seed for the 48th World Championship at Sheffield's esteemed Crucible Theatre next month.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, with a slender lead of 18,000 points over the recent World Open victor Judd Trump, faces stiff competition for snooker's number one ranking.
This event is also crucial for finalising the top-16 seedings for this premier snooker tournament. The battle for the number one spot intensifies as O'Sullivan and Trump head into the Tour Championship, slated for 1-7 April, with high stakes.
Trump's recent triumph at the World Open in Yushan, where he clinched his fifth major title of the season by defeating Ding Junhui 10-4, has significantly bolstered his chances of overtaking O'Sullivan in the rankings before the World Championship, which runs from 20 April to 6 May. By defending his World Open title, Trump narrowed the gap with O'Sullivan to 18,000 points, thanks to a £170,000 prize. Despite being the top seed, Trump and second seed O'Sullivan are assured of at least £30,000 each by starting in the quarter-finals at Manchester Central, which features the top 12 players based on the sport's annual earnings.
Trump has the opportunity to reclaim the world number one position for the first time since 2021 if he wins the £150,000 top prize at the Tour Championship or reaches the final while O'Sullivan exits at the semi-finals. O'Sullivan, renowned as one of the greatest in snooker, has maintained the top rank since his 18-13 win over Trump at the Crucible two years ago. He can retain his position by winning the trophy or advancing further than Trump in this crucial pre-World Championship event.
The final list of top 16 seeds for the World Championship is yet to be determined, with various outcomes still possible. Despite not qualifying for the Tour Championship, Robert Milkins is poised to be the 16th seed at the Crucible, while Mark Selby is expected to be the fifth seed.
Neil Robertson, the 2010 world champion, faces the prospect of entering the World Championship from the 24th spot, needing to win two matches to qualify for the first time since 2006, despite showing promising form in a close 6-5 defeat to Ding in the World Open semi-finals.
| Provisional Snooker World Rankings | |
|---|---|
| 1. Ronnie O'Sullivan | 1,049,000 |
| 2. Judd Trump | 1,031,000 |
| 3. Mark Allen | 925,000 |
| 4. Luca Brecel | 690,500 |
| 5. Mark Selby | 658,500 |
| 6. Shaun Murphy | 468,000 |
| 7. Ding Junhui | 456,500 |
| 8. Ali Carter | 413,000 |
| 9. Mark Williams | 407,500 |
| 10. Zhang Anda | 386,000 |
| Snooker Tour Championship Winner Odds (Bet365) | |
|---|---|
| Ronnie OSullivan | 4/6 |
| Judd Trump | 5/6 |
| Mark Selby | 15/2 |
| Ding Junhu | 11 |
| Mark Allen | 14 |
| John Higgins | 18 |
| Zhang Anda | 16 |
| Mark Williams | 25 |