The inaugural Shenzhen Open begins on 28 September as the sixth ranking event of the 2026-27 snooker season, with Mark Williams carrying the status of defending champion into a new tournament in China.
The event runs until 4 October at Bao’an Sports Centre and, according to the WPBSA, marks the first time Shenzhen has staged a world ranking event. The governing body says the leading players will compete for a top prize of £177,000, while specialist outlet SnookerHQ reports a total purse of £850,000.
Williams is being treated as the reigning champion because the Shenzhen Open effectively takes the place of the Xi’an Grand Prix on the World Snooker Tour calendar. The Welshman won the final Xi’an event in 2025, beating Shaun Murphy in the final, and has been given the top seeding for the new competition.
His opening held-over last-64 match is against Fan Zhengyi. The arrangement gives the tournament continuity with its predecessor while also establishing Shenzhen as the host city for the ranking event.
A substantial prize fund and a strong field
The winner’s £177,000 cheque gives the new event immediate weight in the season’s ranking schedule. SnookerHQ lists £76,000 for the runner-up, £34,500 for losing semi-finalists and £22,350 for quarter-finalists, with prize money also available from the last 96 onwards.
The specialist publication’s breakdown also lists £12,500 for reaching the last 16, £8,250 for the last 32, £4,700 for the last 64 and £1,600 for the last 96. It reports a separate £5,000 award for the highest break. Those figures set out the financial value attached to progress through the inaugural event, from the qualifying survivors through to the eventual winner.
That scale of reward means a deep run could be significant in ranking terms, particularly as this is only the sixth ranking tournament of the campaign. Shenzhen is also the third Chinese stop of the season after the China Open and Wuhan Open, according to SnookerHQ.
The top 16 seeds have had their first matches held over to the venue stages after qualifying took place in Leicester in July. Several players have already reached the last 32 through that phase, including Stuart Bingham, Stephen Maguire and Ali Carter.
SnookerHQ says the Leicester competition determined which players would join the top 16 seeds in Shenzhen. The venue-stage opening round therefore combines players who have already negotiated qualifying with the leading seeds whose matches were held over, creating a draw in which a number of last-32 places have already been decided.
The held-over draw contains a number of prominent opening ties:
- Williams faces Fan Zhengyi.
- Ronnie O’Sullivan plays Jiang Jun.
- Zhao Xintong meets Scott Donaldson.
- Judd Trump is drawn against Huang Jiahao.
- Kyren Wilson will play either a wildcard entrant or Sam Craigie.
Williams’ path could bring a last-32 meeting with Yuan Sijun should he overcome Fan. O’Sullivan’s section places Zak Surety as the potential next opponent, while Zhao could face Pang Junxu in the following round. These possible pairings are dependent on the opening matches being completed as indicated by the draw.
Williams starts with a title to defend in name
Although the Shenzhen Open has no previous edition, the WPBSA says Williams will defend the title after his Xi’an final victory over Murphy last year. SnookerHQ likewise identifies him as the reigning champion for the inaugural tournament and says his Xi’an success made him the oldest ranking-event champion.
Murphy is also in the Shenzhen draw, where he is scheduled to meet either a wildcard or Marco Fu. Other established names include Mark Selby, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins and Wu Yize, while SnookerHQ identifies Mark Allen as the most notable withdrawal.
The draw listing also places Selby against either a wildcard or Andrew Higginson, while John Higgins is due to meet David Grace and Ding Junhui is drawn against Ricky Walden. Wu Yize is scheduled to play either a wildcard or Jamie Clarke. These matches underline the depth of the venue-stage field alongside the five opening ties involving Williams, O’Sullivan, Zhao, Trump and Wilson.
The format of the held-over round is best of nine frames, according to SnookerHQ’s draw listing. With venue-stage matches beginning on 28 September, the tournament offers a fresh ranking-event setting but a familiar level of competition at the top of the field.
For viewers in the UK and Ireland, the WPBSA says coverage will be available through TNT Sports and HBO Max.