Elite Snooker Action Returns to Leicester
The busy snooker season continues at a relentless pace as the prestigious Champion of Champions tournament gets underway this Monday in Leicester. The event, held at the Mattioli Arena, runs from November 10 to November 16, culminating in the final this Sunday.
This elite invitational features most of the sport's biggest names, though it arrives hot on the heels of the International Championship, which concluded only on Sunday in Nanjing, China. The tight turnaround means that recent champion Wu Yize will unfortunately have to wait until next year to make his debut in this competition.
Defending Champion and Tournament Format
Mark Williams enters the week as the defending champion, looking to replicate his brilliant victory from last year's event. The 50-year-old Welshman has continued his fine form since then, remarkably adding the Xi'an Grand Prix title to his epic collection and becoming the oldest ever ranking event winner earlier this season.
The tournament boasts a unique and demanding group format. Each day, two matches are played in the afternoon sessions, with the winners meeting later that same evening in a group final to decide who advances to the semi-finals.
The field is packed with talent, including the likes of Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby, Zhao Xintong, and Neil Robertson. The qualification process also provides a platform for other champions, such as Bai Yulu, the World Women’s Championship winner, and Alfie Burden, the victor at the World Seniors Championship.
How to Watch and Full Schedule
For snooker fans in the UK, the entire Champion of Champions event will be broadcast live on ITV4. Viewers can also stream the action via ITVX.
Champion of Champions Schedule:
- Monday November 10: 1pm Judd Trump vs Bai Yulu; 3pm Shaun Murphy vs Lei Peifan; 7pm Trump/Bai vs Murphy/Lei
- Tuesday November 11: 1pm Kyren Wilson vs Jack Lisowski; 3pm Mark Allen vs Zhao Xintong; 7pm Wilson/Lisowski vs Allen/Zhao
- Wednesday November 12: 1pm Mark Williams vs Alfie Burden; 3pm Mark Selby vs Stephen Maguire; 7pm Williams/Burden vs Selby/Maguire
- Thursday November 13: 1pm Neil Robertson vs Tom Ford; 3pm John Higgins vs Xiao Guodong; 7pm Higgins/Xiao vs Robertson/Ford
- Friday November 14: 7pm: Semi-final One
- Saturday November 15: 7pm: Semi-final Two
- Sunday November 16: 1pm & 7pm: Final
Prize Money and Betting Odds
A significant £150,000 awaits the winner of the tournament, with the runner-up receiving £60,000. Semi-finalists will earn £30,000, while players who finish as group runners-up get £17,500. Even losing in the group semi-finals guarantees a £12,500 payday.
According to Betfair, Judd Trump is the current favourite at 3/1. He is closely followed by Mark Selby and Neil Robertson at 6/1, and defending champion Mark Williams at 13/2. The outsiders of the field are Alfie Burden at 175/1 and Bai Yulu at 325/1.
Notable Absence: Ronnie O'Sullivan
For the first time since the tournament returned to the calendar in 2013, the field does not include snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan. 'The Rocket' has experienced a rare dry spell in terms of titles, with his last piece of silverware coming at the World Masters of Snooker in Riyadh back in March 2024. Without a tournament win in over a year, he did not qualify for this year's Champion of Champions.
