World Grand Prix draw hands Ronnie O'Sullivan tasty tie but will he play?

02/18/2025 06:19 AM

The draw for the World Grand Prix has been confirmed, with defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan set for an eye-catching opener against Si Jiahui.

The tournament has been moved outside the UK for the first time, held at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park from 4-9 March.

It is a significant revamp for the event which was held in Leicester last year, now being played in front of a capacity of over 4,000 and the prize fund boosted from £380,000 to £700,000.

The top 32 players on the one-year ranking list have made it into the draw, so unsurprisingly there are some blockbuster matches as early as the opening round.

O’Sullivan meets highly-touted Chinese youngster Si, John Higgins has a clash with Ali Cater, Judd trump meets Gary Wilson and old rivals Shaun Murphy and Stephen Maguire face off, in just some of the notable matches.

Newly-crowned Welsh Open champion Mark Selby faces Jackson Page in another standout tie, while world champ Kyren Wilson meets Matthew Selt.

Si beat O’Sullivan in their one meeting so far this season, producing a brilliant performance to win their Saudi Arabia Masters quarter-final, but will he get another shot at him in Hong Kong?

O’Sullivan has skipped the last three events, pulling out of the Masters, German Masters and Welsh Open after dramatically withdrawing from the Championship League midway through his group last month.

The Rocket was so frustrated with his game that he snapped his cue at the behind-closed-door event in Leicester and he has not competed since.

Speaking at the Masters, he made it clear that he does intend to return to the table, saying: 'I've got a couple of other cues that I can start practicing with because there's some tournaments coming up. I'm going to continue to play so I need to get used to the cue now.'

Speaking during the Welsh Open, O’Sullivan’s good friend Jimmy White offered something of an update, saying on Eurosport: ‘He needs some match practice before the World Championship. He needs to get amongst it.

‘I have heard he has a good cue he is happy with, [but] I am only hearing whispers.’

The Rocket pulled out of the Welsh on the morning of his opening game, with reports suggesting that he was set to play in Llandudno before a very late change of heart.

He posted a statement on social media, which read: ‘I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew, so I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who've been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments.

'I've been trying to prioritise my health and well-being, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play. It's never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.

'I'm doing what I can to get back to my best, and I'm grateful for all your support and understanding.'

When he will return to the table is not yet clear, but he is currently scheduled for a match at the World Open in Yushan, China on Sunday against Stuart Carrington.

O’Sullivan did play in the Yushan event last year, but it is not a tournament he has turned up for regularly since it moved to China in 2012.

Then comes the Grand Prix at the start of March and it would be something of a surprise if the Rocket did not play there given that he took up residency in Hong Kong last year.

The 49-year-old was given residency through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme and said of the move in October: ‘I've spent a lot of time in Hong Kong. I've had many really nice trips here, got some good friends here, I enjoy my stay here.

'Obviously snooker is very popular here as well. Obviously, like myself, someone travelling from another country, the tax is also a good thing. But your food, your culture, it's a great place to live, a great place to be.

'If you want to live a life, a good life, you should come to Hong Kong.

'My plan in Hong Kong is obviously to do some work, but I love the food, I love just relaxing here in Hong Kong, and maybe go and play some snooker, it's just really nice to be back in Hong Kong again.'

The last tournament played in the region was the 2022 Hong Kong Masters, which attracted a record crowd for a snooker event as O’Sullivan beat Marco Fu in the final in front of close to 9,000 people.

Old rival John Higgins certainly expects to see O’Sullivan back soon, believing that as soon as the Rocket is comfortable with his new cue we will see him again in tournaments.

Speaking at the Welsh Open last week, the Wizard of Wishaw said: 'I think he'll be back. I think obviously it's well-documented with his cue.

'I think he's one of the sort of guys who will not want to turn up to an event and not be used to the new piece of equipment that he wants to use.

'I think he'll be putting the hours in behind the scenes and getting himself ready for the last part of the season, without a doubt.'

A return in the near future feels likely, but we won’t know for sure until the Rocket walks out to the table.