The 2024 World Grand Prix (officially the 2024 Spreadex World Grand Prix) was a professional

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

tournament that took place from 15 to 21 January 2024 at the

Morningside Arena The Leicester Arena, known for sponsorship reasons as the Morningside Arena Leicester, is a multi-purpose built sports arena located in Leicester, England. The arena has a seating capacity for 3,000 spectators. The arena's main tenants are the ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, England. The eleventh

ranking A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second. In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of o ...

event of the

2023–24 snooker season The 2023–24 snooker season is an ongoing professional snooker season with tournaments played between 26 June 2023 and 26 May 2024. Players The World Snooker Tour in the 2023–24 season initially involved 130 professional players, but dro ...

, following the Scottish Open and preceding the

German Masters The German Masters is a professional ranking snooker tournament held at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany since 2011. The 2021 event was held at Milton Keynes in England because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zhao Xintong is the reigning champion, h ...

, it was the first of three events in the Players Series, preceding the Players Championship and the

Tour Championship The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 ...

. Organised by the

World Snooker Tour The World Snooker Tour (WST) is the main professional snooker tour, consisting of approximately 128 players competing on a circuit of up to 28 tournaments each season. The World Snooker Tour is administered by World Snooker Ltd, the commercial ar ...

and sponsored by betting company

Spreadex Spreadex is a British-based company that offers financial spread betting, sports spread betting, and sports fixed-odds betting. History Spreadex commenced trading in 1999 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. It was founded by former City dealer Jonathan ...

, the event was broadcast by

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

domestically, by

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in Europe, and by other broadcasters worldwide. The winner received £100,000 from a total prize fund of £380,000. The event featured the top 32 players in the one-year ranking list as it stood after the 2023 Scottish Open.

Mark Allen Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

was the defending champion, having defeated

Judd Trump Judd Trump (born 20 August 1989) is an English professional snooker player, a former world champion and former world number one. Widely regarded as one of the sport's most talented players, he is currently sixth on the list of all-time ranki ...

109 in the previous final, but he lost 24 to

Zhang Anda Zhang Anda (born 25 December 1991) is a Chinese professional snooker player, who made his debut on the Main Tour for the 2009–10 season. He qualified by winning the ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship. Standing at 5 ft. 3 in. tall, he ...

in the last 16.

Ronnie O'Sullivan Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player who is the current world champion and world number one. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the sport's history, ...

defeated Trump 107 in the final to capture his third World Grand Prix title, and a record-extending 41st ranking title.

Format

The event took place from 15 to 21 January 2024 at the

, United Kingdom. It featured the top 32 players in the one-year ranking list as it stood after the 2023 Scottish Open. The last-32 and last-16 matches were played as the best of seven frames; the quarter-finals were the best of nine frames; the semi-finals were the best of 11 frames, and the final was the best of 19 frames, played over two . The defending champion was Northern Irish player

, who won his first World Grand Prix title in

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

, defeating England's

10–9 in the final.

Broadcasters

The event was broadcast by

in the UK;

Discovery+ Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discover ...

and

in Europe (including the UK and Ireland);

CCTV-5 CCTV-5 (), also known as the Sports Channel, part of the China Central Television family of networks, is the main sports broadcaster in the People's Republic of China. CCTV-5 began broadcasting on 1 January 1995. CCTV-5 now broadcasts 24 hours ...

, Migu, Youku, and Huya in Mainland China;

DAZN DAZN ( "da zone") is a global sports entertainment platform. Different to traditional linear and satellite broadcasting, DAZN is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service meaning that it is delivered directly to viewers via the internet. The ...

in the US and Brazil;

Now TV Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...

in Hong Kong;

Astro SuperSport Astro SuperSport is an English language in-house subscription satellite television network in Malaysia dedicated to broadcasting sports-related content 24 hours a day. It is available on the Astro via Channels 810 & 831 (HD) to subscribers of ...

in Malaysia and Brunei;

TrueVisions TrueVisions is a cable and satellite television operator in Thailand. TrueVisions is owned by the True Corporation. Until February 2007, it was called the United Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), or UBC-True. History International Broadcasting C ...

in Thailand; Sportcast in Taiwan; Premier Sports Network in the Philippines; Fastsports in Pakistan; and Matchroom.live in all other territories.

Seeding list

Unlike other events where the defending champion is seeded first, the reigning

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

second, and the rest based on the

world rankings A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second. In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of o ...

, the qualification and seedings in the Players Series tournaments are determined by the one-year ranking list. The below list shows the top 32 players with the most ranking points acquired during the 2023–24 season, as of after the Scottish Open:

Prize fund

The event featured a total prize fund of £380,000, with the winner receiving £100,000. The breakdown of prize money for the event is shown below: * Winner: £100,000 * Runner-up: £40,000 * Semi-final: £20,000 * Quarter-final: £12,500 * Last 16: £7,500 * Last 32: £5,000 * Highest break: £10,000 * Total: £380,000

Summary

Last 32

The first round matches were played from 15 to 17 January.

Cao Yupeng Cao Yupeng (; born 27 October 1990) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He won the 2011 Asian Under-21 Championship, thus qualifying for the professional main tour for the 2011–12 season. In his first season on the circuit, he reached ...

, seeded 28, defeated fifth seed

Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins (born 23 April 1979) is an English professional snooker player from Ditton, Kent. He turned professional in 1996, but only rose to prominence in the 2004–05 snooker season, when he reached the last 16 of the 2004 UK Championsh ...

43.

Shaun Murphy Shaun Peter Murphy (born 10 August 1982) is an English professional snooker player who won the 2005 World Snooker Championship, 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight Cue stick, cue action and his lo ...

, seeded 21, 12th seed

John Higgins John Higgins, (born 18 May 1975) is a Scottish professional snooker player. He has won 31 career ranking titles, placing him in third position on the all-time list of ranking event winners, behind Ronnie O'Sullivan (39) and Stephen Hendry ( ...

40 in a match that lasted only 41 minutes, with Murphy making a

century break In snooker, a century break (also century, sometimes called a ton) is a of 100 points or more, compiled in one to the table. A century break requires potting at least 25 consecutive balls, and the ability to score centuries is regarded as a m ...

of 145 in the first . Despite having problems with deteriorating eyesight, 48 year old Mark Williams beat

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (, ; born 18 April 1985) is a Thai professional snooker player. He has won one ranking event, the 2019 Snooker Shoot Out, and finished as runner-up in the 2019 World Open. He is regarded as one of the fastest snooker playe ...

43, making a 134 in the third frame.

made three century breaks of 103, 110, and 108 in defeating

Jack Lisowski Jack Adam Lisowski (born 25 June 1991) is an English professional snooker player from Churchdown, Gloucestershire. He turned professional in 2010 by finishing first in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. A left-handed player, he is known for his atta ...

42.

Last 16

The second round matches were played from 17 to 18 January.

whitewashed

Lyu Haotian Lyu Haotian (, born 29 November 1997) is a snooker player from the People's Republic of China, notable for being one of the youngest snooker players to have played in professional tournaments, aged only 14. He reached the quarter-finals of the ...

40, setting up a quarter final meeting with

Mark Selby Mark Anthony Selby (born 19 June 1983) is an English professional snooker player, who is a four-time World Snooker Champion. Ranked world number one on multiple occasions, he has won a total of 21 ranking titles, placing him eighth on the ...

who defeated

Ali Carter Allister Carter (born 25 July 1979) is an English professional snooker player. He has twice been the World Championship runner-up, in 2008 and 2012, losing both finals to Ronnie O'Sullivan. He has won four ranking titles and briefly reached numb ...

43. There was also a 40 whitewash victory for Cao over Murphy.

defeated defending champion Allen 42, setting up a meeting with

Ding Junhui Ding Junhui (; born 1 April 1987) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He is the most successful Asian player in the history of the sport. Throughout his career, he has won 14 major ranking titles, including three UK Championships (2005 ...

in the quarter finals, after Ding beat

Noppon Saengkham Noppon Saengkham (; born 15 July 1992) is a Thai professional snooker player. Career Early years In April 2009, Saengkham lost in the final of the ACBS Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship 1–5 to Zhang Anda. He went one better at the 2009 IBSF ...

41.

defeated

Zhou Yuelong Zhou Yuelong (; born 24 January 1998) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He has been runner-up at three ranking events, the January 2020 European Masters, the 2020 Snooker Shoot Out, and the 2022 Northern Ireland Open. Career Between ...

43.

Quarter finals

The quarter-finals were played from 18 to 19 January. In a dominant performance, Trump defeated Selby 51, making a 119 break in the fourth frame. Cao beat Williams 54 and O'Sullivan defeated Gary Wilson 51 making a 129 break in the third frame. Ding beat Zhang 52.

Semi finals

The semi-finals were played from 19 to 20 January. In the first semi-final, Trump beat Cao 62, making a 106 break in the second frame. In the second semi-final O'Sullivan defeated Ding 61 in only 1 hour and 12 minutes, making four centuries of 135, 128, 128, and 124.

Final

The final was played over two between Trump and O'Sullivan on 21 January as the best of 19 frames. In the afternoon session, Trump won four frames in a row to lead 40 at the mid-session interval. O'Sullivan took the next two frames, making a 60 break in the sixth, to narrow the score to 42, and then to 53 at the end of the session. Trump made a break of 66 to win the opening frame of the evening session, advancing to 63. However, O'Sullivan won six consecutive frames, making breaks of 58, 74, 52, and 51, to lead by 96. Trump closed in to 97 by winning the 16th frame, but O'Sullivan took the next with a break of 52 to capture a 107 victory, claiming his third World Grand Prix title, and a record-extending 41st ranking title.

Tournament draw

The draw for the tournament is shown below. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the players' seedings, whilst players in bold denote match winners. The last-32 and last-16 matches were played as the best of seven frames; the quarter-finals were the best of nine frames; the semi-finals were the best of 11 frames, and the final was the best of 19 frames, played over two .

Final

Century breaks

A total of 30 century breaks were made in the tournament. * 145

* 137, 110, 108, 103

* 135, 129, 128, 128, 124, 111, 107

* 134, 108 Mark Williams * 134

Hossein Vafaei Hossein Vafaei ( fa, حسین وفایی ایوری; born 15 October 1994) is an Iranian professional snooker player. He is the first professional player from Iran. He won his first professional title at the 2022 Snooker Shoot Out, beating Mar ...

* 126

* 124

* 121 Gary Wilson * 119, 106

* 113

Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directe ...

* 105, 100

* 105

Pang Junxu Pang Junxu (, born 15 February 2000) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He was awarded the "Rookie of the Year" Award in 2021. Career As a result of Pang's performances on the CBSA Tour, he was awarded a two-year card on the World Snook ...

* 103

Jamie Jones Jamie Jones may refer to: * Jamie Jones (DJ), Welsh DJ, producer and two-time DJ Awards winner * Jamie Jones (footballer) (born 1989), English professional footballer for Wigan Athletic * Jamie Jones (snooker player) (born 1988), Welsh professional ...

* 102, 101

* 102

* 101

References

External links

* {{2023–24 snooker season

2024 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ***''Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney's fi ...

World Grand Prix World Grand Prix World Grand Prix Sport in Leicester World Grand Prix, 2024