The players invited to the new Macau Snooker Masters are excited for the opportunity to play in the event this December, with Judd Trump saying: ‘Christmas is going to be very special this year.’
There will be £150,000 on offer to the winner, with Trump battling it out with Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ding Junhui, Jack Lisowski, Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, Marco Fu and Si Jiahui for the big top prize.
The eight-man tournament is to be held at the Wynn Palace in Macau from 25-29 December, an unusual time for a snooker event, but one that slots in when they players won’t be involved in World Snooker Tour competitions.
World Snooker Tour confirmed that the Macau Masters is unsanctioned meaning the players won’t be able to play if it is streamed or broadcast, so don’t expect to watch the action over Christmas dinner.
Nevertheless, it will be a glamorous event at the Wynn Palace hotel, with Trump joking he is looking forward to winning some money back from the place after spending plenty at Wynn in Las Vegas.
‘I’m very excited to be able to play at this event, it’s exciting for all of us here,’ Trump said at the launch event on Wednesday.
‘Whenever I go on a holiday to Vegas, I always spend my money on the Wynn Hotel, so it will be nice to earn some money back here. Christmas is going to be very special this year.’
O’Sullivan added: ‘It’s a fantastic place. So excited to come here and play at such a big event in one of the best hotels in the world. I’m sure it’s going to be a fantastic event with so much support from the people.’
The Rocket enjoyed a trip to Asia for a huge event last year when he won the Hong Kong Masters, beating Marco Fu in the final in front of a world record snooker crowd of 9,000.
‘The whole experience was perfect,’ he told SportsRoad. ‘I also want to say hello to the Hong Kong fans, and I hope to see you all in Macau at Christmas and play exciting games again.’
Chinese snooker has obviously been hit hard by the recent match-fixing scandal which has seen 10 players banned, with two for life.
However, O’Sullivan feels recent World Championship semi-finalist Si could win the world title within four years and thinks China is still a serious force at the top level.
‘In another three or four years’ time, he might win the tournament, it’s just experience,’ O’Sullivan said of the 20-year-old.
‘I’ve seen a lot of Chinese players practise a lot and they want to become the best. Some are so strong now, so the future is now and it will only get stronger.’
MORE : Ronnie O’Sullivan among snooker stars launching Macau Masters set for Christmas time
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