China Open 2011: World Snooker announces China Open 2011 draw
World Snooker announced the China Open 2011 draw and format of play for the qualifiers on Monday, February 21, 2011. The China Open 2011 qualifiers will be held at World Snooker Academy Sheffield from February 24 to 27, while the tournament will take place
from March 28 to April 3, 2011, at Peking University Students Gymnasium, Beijing, China.
The draw for China Open 2011 is made in accordance with the world snooker seedings, currently revised after the Welsh open 2011. The seeding list is updated on the basis of the points earned by a player in 2008/09 season (excluding points earned in the 2008
Northern Ireland Trophy, 2008 Shanghai Masters, 2008 Grand Prix, 2008 Bahrain Championship, 2008 UK Championship, 2009 Welsh Open and 2009 China Open), 2009/10 season, 2010/11 (from the start of the season to the Welsh Open), 2010 PTC, 2010 China Open and
2010 World Championship.
Mark Williams of Wales, the defending champion and World Number Two, is the top seed in the tournament. World Champion, Neil Robertson nudged down to second spot while John Higgins, who retained his Welsh open title on Sunday at Newport Centre, is placed
at number three. Ding Junhui of China, runner-up at the 2010 China Open, occupies number 5 spot in the seeding list for China Open 2011.
1. Mark Williams (Wales)
2. Neil Robertson (Australia)
3. John Higgins (Scotland)
4. Mark Selby (England)
5. Ding Junhui (China)
6. Stephen Maguire (Scotland)
7. Shaun Murphy (England)
8. Ali Carter (England)
9. Graeme Dott (Scotland)
10. Ronnie O’Sullivan (England)
11. Mark Allen (England)
12. Peter Ebdon (England)
13. Stephen Hendry (Scotland)
14. Jamie Cope (England)
15. Ricky Walden (England)
16. Marco Fu (Hong Kong)
The Welsh Potting Machine, Mark Williams is defending his title that he won against the Chinese cueist, Ding Junhui 10-6 in 2010. It is the tenth edition of the tournament since 1999. Mark Williams has won the title three times in 2002, 2006 and 2010. Welsh
Open 2011 champion, John Higgins is one of the favourites to clinch the title as he was in tremendous form during the Welsh Open. He has won the first ranking edition of China International in 1999.
The home-favourite Ding must be ready to capitalise and take the glory that he could not clinch last time. He showed some good performances in the Welsh Open reaching the quarter-final, where he lost to England’s Ali Carter. Ronnie O’Sullivan, the two-time
China Open champion in 1999 and 2000, is already struggling with his performance since the UK championship in December, 2010. There are hopes that he might bounce back in China Open 2011.
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