Hong Kong Masters Preview

On Thursday, the game's best players will launch a brand new invitational event as the Hong Kong Masters arrives on the tour. Eight players make up the field in this short event that will be played on one table at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

The home hero Marco Fu will get the event underway on Thursday as he takes on Barry Hawkins. Following that will be the world champion Mark Selby against former world champion Neil Robertson in what has been one of the great head to heads of this decade.

The second day brings in one of last season's form players Judd Trump as he faces Shaun Murphy in what is a match-up that produced a black ball finish in the quarter-finals of last year's International Championship as well as a classic Crucible quarter-final in 2013.

Completing the line-up are two of the greatest ever players as Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins will look to bring their best for the Hong Kong fans. This is another stand-out tie and a head to head between two players who have continued to display their best into their 40's.

Hong Kong Masters Full Bracket Draw: 

Mark Selby Vs Neil Robertson
Marco Fu Vs Barry Hawkins
Judd Trump Vs Shaun Murphy
John Higgins Vs Ronnie O'Sullivan


If there is one disappointing absentee it would be China's number one Ding Junhui but that should not take away from what is a thrilling eight man field. Quarter-finals on Thursday and Friday are played over the best-of-9 frames before best-of-11 semi-finals on Saturday and a best-of-11 frame final to close out the week on Sunday.

The Sunday will also see a couple of exhibition games featuring women's world champion in Hong Kong's Ng On Yee, along with two more legends of the game, Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White.


Out of the eight players, Barry Hawkins and Judd Trump have been in decent form having just made the final of the Snooker World Cup as representatives of the England team. John Higgins, Neil Robertson and Marco Fu had slightly less success in the World Cup as each of their respective teams fell in the group stages.

Mark Selby meanwhile will be in competitive action for the first time since his third Crucible triumph, having withdrawn from the Riga Masters and skipping the World Cup. Ronnie O'Sullivan will also play a competitive match for the first time since Sheffield, while Shaun Murphy takes to the match table having not competed for 7 weeks since China Championship and Riga Masters qualifying where he claimed one win from the two games.


Selby is the tournament favourite, with Trump second favourite but in a tournament with the game's best players over a fairly short distance any one of them could come out the winner if they play to their best, setting up an exciting tournament.