From Monday evening through to Sunday's finale players including top seed Ronnie O'Sullivan, world champion Mark Selby, Masters champion Mark Allen and many more will compete for the £100,000 top prize.
However, not present for the tournament in Preston this week will be defending champion Barry Hawkins. Such is the nature of the qualifying criteria, no player has a right to be in the line-up and everyone has to earn their place by making it into the top 32 on the one season money list.
Marco Fu is the next highest ranked player not involved in the tournament. Fu is currently taking time out after eye surgery but was not part of the 32 before taking time out. Liang Wenbo also fell short of qualification, while Michael Holt, Anthony Hamilton, Alan McManus and Zhou Yuelong are the remaining members of the current top 32 in the full world rankings who did not earn a place in Preston.
Shoot Out champion Michael Georgiou and Scottish Open runner-up Cao Yupeng are the two lowest ranked players in the field of 32 but are more than capable of a run through the field.
Quarter 1
Last 32 draw: (Picks in bold)
Ronnie O'Sullivan Vs Robert Milkins
Martin Gould Vs Yan Bingtao
Mark Allen Vs Xiao Guodong
John Higgins Vs Ali Carter
The top quarter of the draw this week is packed with top stars and guys in good form. Robert Milkins was the final man into the field this week, and as such faces the toughest opponent of all. Martin Gould and Yan Bingtao is a great match up between two players who have had some great results this year. Gould was a semi-finalist at the International Championships as well as making quarter-finals at the Shanghai Masters and the UK Championship in a fine pre-Christmas run of form. Yan was also a semi-finalist at the International Championship and of course made the final of the Northern Ireland open in November. The Chinese youngster has had a bit of a quiet time since otherwise he would have surely been well inside the top 16, rather than seed number 17.
Masters champion Mark Allen faces a tough assignment against Xiao Guodong. The Masters does not count to the Grand Prix listings of course, but a final at the International Championship has helped Allen greatly in securing a high seeding this week. He has been in great form all season, though in the two tournaments since securing the Masters he has fallen at the first hurdle, and over the best-of-7 frames he faces another incredibly task. Xiao recently made the quarter-finals of the German Masters and should have gone further. He overcame Mark Selby for the second time this season on the way as well as ending Liang Wenbo's hopes of being in this tournament. Leading Graeme Dott 4-0 in the quarter-finals, it looked very much like he would make it into the last 4 but an incredible comeback from Dott thwarted him. It may take him a bit of time to get over that, though the confidence from beating several top players this season should help him continue moving forward.
John Higgins and Ali Carter is another tough match to call over 7 frames. Carter has not had a good season, and finds himself as a lower seed in this tournament, hence why he's drawn Higgins in round one. Despite a semi-final in August's China Championship, it has been a quiet time since that has seen a number of early exits, including at the last 128 stage of the UK Championships. Higgins has not set the world alight, but instead consistently picked up results. A win at the Indian Open in September came without having to beat many top players, and since he has picked up decent results making the semi-finals in Shanghai in November and the Scottish Open a month later. I can certainly see a route for Higgins through the first two rounds, but then it may be an old foe who ends his run.
Top seed Ronnie O'Sullivan has to be my first quarter choice this week. He has been incredible this season and has earned his top seeding with big money wins in the UK Championship and Shanghai Masters as well as taking home the English Open crown. There certainly have not been too many early exits for the Rocket in this campaign and Milkins will have to be on top form to see him exit in round one. On paper his draw looks nice enough but with the first two rounds being best-of-7 frames that does bring a sense than anything can happen. O'Sullivan has also had a while to get over his Masters quarter-final exit where he looked to have run out of steam, so he should come in here fresh which is always when he's most dangerous. He may be the obvious choice to win this quarter and to possibly go on and win title number four of this season, but I also believe that he is a clear choice for this section.
Masters champion Mark Allen faces a tough assignment against Xiao Guodong. The Masters does not count to the Grand Prix listings of course, but a final at the International Championship has helped Allen greatly in securing a high seeding this week. He has been in great form all season, though in the two tournaments since securing the Masters he has fallen at the first hurdle, and over the best-of-7 frames he faces another incredibly task. Xiao recently made the quarter-finals of the German Masters and should have gone further. He overcame Mark Selby for the second time this season on the way as well as ending Liang Wenbo's hopes of being in this tournament. Leading Graeme Dott 4-0 in the quarter-finals, it looked very much like he would make it into the last 4 but an incredible comeback from Dott thwarted him. It may take him a bit of time to get over that, though the confidence from beating several top players this season should help him continue moving forward.
John Higgins and Ali Carter is another tough match to call over 7 frames. Carter has not had a good season, and finds himself as a lower seed in this tournament, hence why he's drawn Higgins in round one. Despite a semi-final in August's China Championship, it has been a quiet time since that has seen a number of early exits, including at the last 128 stage of the UK Championships. Higgins has not set the world alight, but instead consistently picked up results. A win at the Indian Open in September came without having to beat many top players, and since he has picked up decent results making the semi-finals in Shanghai in November and the Scottish Open a month later. I can certainly see a route for Higgins through the first two rounds, but then it may be an old foe who ends his run.
Top seed Ronnie O'Sullivan has to be my first quarter choice this week. He has been incredible this season and has earned his top seeding with big money wins in the UK Championship and Shanghai Masters as well as taking home the English Open crown. There certainly have not been too many early exits for the Rocket in this campaign and Milkins will have to be on top form to see him exit in round one. On paper his draw looks nice enough but with the first two rounds being best-of-7 frames that does bring a sense than anything can happen. O'Sullivan has also had a while to get over his Masters quarter-final exit where he looked to have run out of steam, so he should come in here fresh which is always when he's most dangerous. He may be the obvious choice to win this quarter and to possibly go on and win title number four of this season, but I also believe that he is a clear choice for this section.
Best of the Rest: Xiao Guodong
Quarter Winner: Ronnie O'Sullivan
Quarter 2
Last 32 draw: (Picks in bold)
Shaun Murphy Vs Ricky Walden
Ryan Day Vs Jack Lisowski
Stephen Maguire Vs Li Hang
Luca Brecel Vs Michael Goergiou
Quarter number two is where we find last year's runner-up Ryan Day. It was making the final last year that seems to have brought him back to top form. He followed that final by winning the Riga Masters in the summer to secure his first ranking title, and since then he has added a UK Championship semi-final that saw him return to the Masters in January. His form has still been very hit and miss at times, as he displayed by losing in China Open qualifiers recently, but he followed that the very same week by making the German Masters quarter-finals. Jack Lisowski's resurgence is the reason for him making it to the Grand Prix this season. A quarter-final in Barnsley and a career best semi-final in Shanghai are his clear highlights, though since that Shanghai semi he has not gone beyond the last 32 in four events. The early rounds of this tournament being best-of-7 frames presents a big opportunity for him in my opinion. He seems to play best over the shorter format and that may well show against Day and spark a big run in Preston.
Shaun Murphy has been no stranger to big runs this season, having made four finals already in this campaign. Finals at the China and UK Championships are the reason he is the fifth seed and the 2016 Grand Prix champion should be full of confidence ahead of this week. Despite not being quite at his best, he made the semi-finals again recently in Germany and fell agonisingly short of a fifth final this season, showing just how good his form is right now. Ricky Walden will pose a threat to Murphy, though when they met at the last 16 stage in York, the eventual finalist was a comfortable winner. Walden is showing signs of a return to form and this week could well prove another step forward if he can find top gear. However, I think Murphy is going to be a very tough man to beat on current form.
Luca Brecel has been a familiar opponent for Shaun Murphy, if the pair were to meet in the quarter-finals it would be their fourth match of the season having already played in the China Championship final and Champion of Champions semi-finals. It was the win at the China Championship that catapulted Brecel up the world rankings and makes him the fourth seed for this event. He has followed it since with a semi-final at the World Open as well as that Champion of Champions semi-final. Recently though things have not gone according to plan as much for the Belgian. Cue trouble and shoulder trouble hampered him either side of Christmas. His shoulder problems not helping his last 32 exit in the UK Championships, causing withdrawals from Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as an early exit in German Masters qualifying. His first round Masters exit to Mark Allen saw him come out with two cues so there appears to be some uncertainty with him on that front. If he comes to Preston fully fit and happy with his equipment then we could see the form that was so exciting to watch early on in the season.
Shaun Murphy has been no stranger to big runs this season, having made four finals already in this campaign. Finals at the China and UK Championships are the reason he is the fifth seed and the 2016 Grand Prix champion should be full of confidence ahead of this week. Despite not being quite at his best, he made the semi-finals again recently in Germany and fell agonisingly short of a fifth final this season, showing just how good his form is right now. Ricky Walden will pose a threat to Murphy, though when they met at the last 16 stage in York, the eventual finalist was a comfortable winner. Walden is showing signs of a return to form and this week could well prove another step forward if he can find top gear. However, I think Murphy is going to be a very tough man to beat on current form.
Luca Brecel has been a familiar opponent for Shaun Murphy, if the pair were to meet in the quarter-finals it would be their fourth match of the season having already played in the China Championship final and Champion of Champions semi-finals. It was the win at the China Championship that catapulted Brecel up the world rankings and makes him the fourth seed for this event. He has followed it since with a semi-final at the World Open as well as that Champion of Champions semi-final. Recently though things have not gone according to plan as much for the Belgian. Cue trouble and shoulder trouble hampered him either side of Christmas. His shoulder problems not helping his last 32 exit in the UK Championships, causing withdrawals from Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as an early exit in German Masters qualifying. His first round Masters exit to Mark Allen saw him come out with two cues so there appears to be some uncertainty with him on that front. If he comes to Preston fully fit and happy with his equipment then we could see the form that was so exciting to watch early on in the season.
My quarter choice here though is someone who looks to be slowly getting back to top form over the last year, and now targeting a return to the world's top 16. Stephen Maguire was a semi-finalist at the UK Championships in December and that along with a final appearance at the Riga Masters have helped him into the top 16 on this season's money list. A quarter-final appearance in the Scottish Open was another positive sign as he backed up the display in York, and I still think he is more than capable of returning to the winners circle. First round opposition in the shape of Li Hang will keep him on his toes, though again his early season results are the main reason he is here. For me, Maguire is a big threat in the draw this week and certainly someone to keep an eye on over the next month or so.
Best of the Rest: Shaun Murphy
Quarter Winner: Stephen Maguire
Quarter 3
Last 32 draw: (Picks in bold)
Judd Trump Vs Michael White
Graeme Dott Vs Joe Perry
Neil Robertson Vs David Gilbert
Mark Selby Vs Jimmy Robertson
As we head into the bottom half of the draw, quarter 3 is certainly the quarter of death and incredibly tough to call. Graeme Dott will be looking to continue his fine recent form after reaching the final of the German Masters and playing incredibly well to get there. He then made the final of the Shoot Out last weekend to keep things ticking over nicely coming into this week. Joe Perry has looked good at times this season, particularly in making the UK Championship quarter-finals but he has a tough task here to end Dott's form as the Scot looks back to his best this season, and is a dark horse for this tournament too.
Judd Trump and Michael White's contest is certainly not one you would put down as a potentially long match with two fast and aggressive players. White's win at the Paul Hunter Classic is the main reason he is in the field this week in Preston, while Trump has won the European Masters, reached the Shanghai Masters final and had multiple semi-finals. However, Trump will be looking to bounce back after a tough recent spell. His Masters semi-final loss to Kyren Wilson from way ahead would have hurt greatly, while losing in China Open qualifying would have also been a big blow. It looked like he may bounce back when he was in the German Masters semi-finals but he did not turn up and was thrashed by Mark Williams 6-1. The 2015 Grand Prix champion certainly needs to put recent disappointment behind him, but has a very tough draw if he wants to put his name on the trophy again.
Mark Selby is someone else looking to pick his form up after a disappointing couple of months. Early exits at the UK Championship, Masters and German Masters are not what you would expect from the reigning World Champion, but he has another opportunity on the big stage this week to start building his form up for another Crucible defence. He starts with an opponent in Jimmy Robertson has never beaten Selby, though he is probably playing as well now as he ever has and that will provide a challenge for Selby. Robertson recently had a career best showing in Berlin making the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion Mark Williams. However, it is tough to keep a top player like Selby down for long and the strength of the draw he faces this week may be the motivation to spark him into life.
Judd Trump and Michael White's contest is certainly not one you would put down as a potentially long match with two fast and aggressive players. White's win at the Paul Hunter Classic is the main reason he is in the field this week in Preston, while Trump has won the European Masters, reached the Shanghai Masters final and had multiple semi-finals. However, Trump will be looking to bounce back after a tough recent spell. His Masters semi-final loss to Kyren Wilson from way ahead would have hurt greatly, while losing in China Open qualifying would have also been a big blow. It looked like he may bounce back when he was in the German Masters semi-finals but he did not turn up and was thrashed by Mark Williams 6-1. The 2015 Grand Prix champion certainly needs to put recent disappointment behind him, but has a very tough draw if he wants to put his name on the trophy again.
Mark Selby is someone else looking to pick his form up after a disappointing couple of months. Early exits at the UK Championship, Masters and German Masters are not what you would expect from the reigning World Champion, but he has another opportunity on the big stage this week to start building his form up for another Crucible defence. He starts with an opponent in Jimmy Robertson has never beaten Selby, though he is probably playing as well now as he ever has and that will provide a challenge for Selby. Robertson recently had a career best showing in Berlin making the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion Mark Williams. However, it is tough to keep a top player like Selby down for long and the strength of the draw he faces this week may be the motivation to spark him into life.
For me though, Neil Robertson is the man to beat in this quarter as he looks to continue his return to form. He was back to his very best at the Scottish Open where he lifted the title with some incredible heavy scoring after showing signs of a return to form for a while. It was not quite enough for him to make the Masters though (coming a week too late on that front), and he failed to qualify for the German Masters, so should come into this week very fresh. All we've seen from Robertson's cue in 2018 so far is a brief trip to the Championship League and a successful China Open qualifier against tough opposition in Robin Hull. Robertson's first round opponent David Gilbert is not in the greatest of form recently, and his head to head stats are good against potential second round opponent Selby. For me, there is no reason why Robertson cannot continue from where he left off in Glasgow and make himself a big contender for this title too.
Best of the Rest: Graeme Dott
Quarter Winner: Neil Robertson
Quarter 4
Last 32 draw: (Picks in bold)
Ding Junhui Vs Mark King
Kyren Wilson Vs Mark Joyce
Anthony McGill Vs Cao Yupeng
Mark Williams Vs Stuart Bingham
The fourth and final quarter is another very competitive one featuring a three time finalist this season, a twice ranking winner, a top four player and three other runners-up in the 2017/2018 season. Ding Junhui is the highest ranked player in this quarter and was a winner back in September at the World Open in China. Since then he has been quiet suffering from an eye issue for the final part of 2017 that saw a couple of withdrawals as well as an early exit in the UK Championship. In 2018 so far he fell in the first round of the Masters yet again despite leading 3-0 at one stage, though was unfortunate to lose in the quarter-finals recently in Berlin. In round one he faces Mark King, an opponent you would expect Ding to overcome though he has had a decent season also. King made the quarter-finals in York as well as the semi-finals in India helping him into this tournament. For me though, Ding is the man to keep an eye on for a big run in Preston.
Masters runner-up Kyren Wilson has been in great form this season while also being one of the tour's nearly men. As well as coming up short in January, he also fell at the final hurdle in the English Open and World Open but it shows how much Wilson is moving forward. In between times there has been the odd early exit but that is to be expected at times. His round one opponent Mark Joyce has been one of the underdogs of the campaign, defeating Neil Robertson on the way to the UK Championship quarter-finals. On top of that have been early season quarter-finals in Riga and Furth as well as last 16's in the International Championship and the recent German Masters to show more of what he is capable of.
Anthony McGill and Cao Yupeng do not stand out as big title contenders. Cao is largely here thanks to his run to the Scottish Open final where he was agonisingly close to the title, and this came after a semi-final at the European Masters and a last 16 at the World Open earlier in the season, while the Northern Ireland Open is the only event where he has not passed the first round. McGill started the season very well making the Indian Open final, English Open semi-finals and three other last eight appearances. Since the English Open though he has failed to pass the last 32 in ranking competition, as well as losing in the first round of the Champion of Champions and Masters to John Higgins.
Masters runner-up Kyren Wilson has been in great form this season while also being one of the tour's nearly men. As well as coming up short in January, he also fell at the final hurdle in the English Open and World Open but it shows how much Wilson is moving forward. In between times there has been the odd early exit but that is to be expected at times. His round one opponent Mark Joyce has been one of the underdogs of the campaign, defeating Neil Robertson on the way to the UK Championship quarter-finals. On top of that have been early season quarter-finals in Riga and Furth as well as last 16's in the International Championship and the recent German Masters to show more of what he is capable of.
Anthony McGill and Cao Yupeng do not stand out as big title contenders. Cao is largely here thanks to his run to the Scottish Open final where he was agonisingly close to the title, and this came after a semi-final at the European Masters and a last 16 at the World Open earlier in the season, while the Northern Ireland Open is the only event where he has not passed the first round. McGill started the season very well making the Indian Open final, English Open semi-finals and three other last eight appearances. Since the English Open though he has failed to pass the last 32 in ranking competition, as well as losing in the first round of the Champion of Champions and Masters to John Higgins.
The quarter winner for me will come from the winner of the match between Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham. Williams is in fantastic form after winning the German Masters to add his second title of the season after his triumph in Belfast. Right now he is proving very tough to beat but given his seeding of number two he has landed an incredibly tough first round draw. Bingham comes into this event fresh after his suspension ended at the end of January. That allowed him to play in the China Open qualifiers where he very impressively dispatched of Jimmy White in his first competitive match for over three months. Prior to suspension he was in good form making the European Masters final, which is the reason he was able to make the Grand Prix despite a long lay off. The advantage for Bingham coming into this tournament and the next few tournaments he plays in will be that he is fresher than anyone else on the circuit. The lay off will have no doubt made him incredibly hungry to be back on the stage and motivated to recoup the loss in earnings that his suspension caused. He is more than capable of beating Williams over any format, but the best-of-7 frames makes defeat slightly more likely for the in-form man. Looking at the rest of the draw I certainly fancy the chances of Bingham's continued progress if he can see off the Welshman.
Best of the Rest: Mark Joyce
Quarter Winner: Stuart Bingham
Tournament Winner Selection: Stuart Bingham
The event will be covered throughout the week once again by ITV4 and all matches in the first two rounds will be played over the best-of-7 frames, on a roll-on roll-off basis in both afternoon and evening sessions.
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