The line up is now confirmed for two massive upcoming invitation events: this month's Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and January's Johnstone's Paint Masters.
Following the conclusion of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York, the top ten in the Johnstone's Paint World Rankings have earned a place in Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, to run from December 18-20. Barry Hawkins could have jumped into the top ten with victory in York, but defeat in the final meant that Zhang Anda held on to tenth spot. The ten players through to Boulevard City in Riyadh are:
Judd Trump
Kyren Wilson
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Mark Selby
Mark Allen
Mark Williams
Luca Brecel
Shaun Murphy
Ding Junhui
Zhang Anda
The draw and format for that event will be announced soon.
On the same list, the top 16 have booked a place in the Johnstone's Paint Masters, to run from January 12-19 at Alexandra Palace in London. They are (in seeding order):
1 Ronnie O’Sullivan
2 Kyren Wilson
3 Judd Trump
4 Mark Selby
5 Mark Allen
6 Mark Williams
7 Luca Brecel
8 Shaun Murphy
9 Ding Junhui
10 Zhang Anda
11 Gary Wilson
12 Ali Carter
13 Barry Hawkins
14 Si Jiahui
15 John Higgins
16 Chris Wakelin
China's Si and England's Wakelin will both make their debut in the historic event which will celebrate its 50th birthday having first been staged in 1975. The draw and schedule have been announced - for details click here.
Judd Trump took the top prize of £250,000 in York, beating Barry Hawkins 10-8 in the final. That extends Trump's lead at the top of the Johnstone's Paint World Rankings to a huge £658,200 over Kyren Wilson. Trump becomes the first player to earn over £1 million in prize money in a single season before Christmas.
Hawkins banked £100,000 as runner-up and jumps from 20th to 13th, a timely burst into the elite top 16. Michael Holt won six matches to reach the quarter-finals and he's up 17 places to 81st. Bai Yulu's fine run in the qualifying rounds boosts her eight spots to 112th.
The updated two-year list will be used to determine seedings for the German Masters and World Open.
On the Johnstone's Paint One-Year List, Trump extends his lead at the top having earned £940,200 this season from ranking events alone. Hawkins climbs from 22nd to ninth, while losing semi-finalist Mark Allen is up from 23rd to 12th.
As usual, the top 32 will qualify for the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, then the top 16 will head to the Players Championship in Telford and the top 12 will progress to the Tour Championship in Manchester. There are just four counting events to go (9Club Shoot Out, BetVictor Scottish Open, German Masters and BetVictor Welsh Open) in the race to Hong Kong. Yuan Sijun is currently 'on the bubble' in 32nd with £58,000.
Trump made 11 centuries in York to raise his hopes of becoming the first player to reach 100 centuries this season and earn a £100,000 bonus. He heads the 2024/25 century breaks tally with 46, ahead of Kyren Wilson on 32.