Wednesday is the final day of the 2024 BetVictor Championship League at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. The tournament started with 128 players and now just eight remain - five of whom have never won a ranking title before. The octet are split into two groups of four, and the two group winners will contest the best-of-five frame final on Wednesday evening. These are the eight contenders battling for the first title of the 2024/25 season...
Mark Williams
Age: 49
From: Cwm, Wales
World ranking: 9
Ranking titles: 26
Ranking finals: 41
Last title: 2024 Tour Championship
Set to turn 50 next year, Williams remains a formidable force on the baize and might be considered favourite for the title. He showed his enduring quality by winning the Tour Championship in Manchester in April, beating the top three players in the world - Mark Allen, Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Renowned for his ice cool temperament, Williams will be the calmest man in the building.
Ali Carter
Age: 44
From: Chelmsford, England
World ranking: 10
Ranking titles: 5
Ranking finals: 12
Last title: 2023 German Masters
2023 was one of the best years of Carter's career as he won the German Masters - his first title since 2016 - as well as reaching the final of the Players Championship and Wuhan Open. Ten weeks ago he went to the Crucible full of confidence but ran into a revved-up Stephen Maguire and lost in round one. Carter will be determined to make amends - and strengthen his position inside the top 16 - as the new season gets underway.
David Gilbert
Age: 43
From: Tamworth, England
World ranking: 22
Ranking titles: 1
Ranking finals: 5
Last title: 2021 Championship League
For many years, Gilbert's name cropped up in the 'best player never to win a ranking event' conversation, until he broke his duck at the Championship League three years ago. After a spell in the doldrums, Gilbert looked back to his best during a run to the semi-finals at the Crucible and has continued that momentum. He sneaked through the opening stage with a brilliant break of 136 in the last frame of his group.
Jackson Page
Age: 22
From: Ebbw Vale, Wales
World ranking: 45
Ranking titles: 0
Ranking finals: 0
It's seven years since a hirsute Page, then aged 15, burst onto the scene by reaching the third round of the Welsh Open. He has since made steady progress and seems on the verge of becoming a serious contender for titles, as he showed at the World Open in March when he knocked out the likes of John Higgins and Mark Selby to reach the semi-finals. He could have few better mentors than Mark Williams, and seems unfazed by the big occasion.
Scott Donaldson
Age: 30
From: Perth, Scotland
World ranking: 51
Ranking titles: 0
Ranking finals: 0
Last title: 2020 Championship League
Like Gilbert, Donaldson's only previous pro title came at the Championship League, albeit it was the invitational version of this event in 2020. Around the same time, the Scot climbed as high as 22nd in the world rankings. He has since had health problems and slipped outside the top 50, but this event could be his chance to get back on track. In stage one of this event, Donaldson topped a group which included World Champion Kyren Wilson.
Martin O'Donnell
Age: 30
From: London, England
World ranking: 63
Ranking titles: 0
Ranking finals: 1
Having first turned pro in 2012, O'Donnell was delighted to reach a landmark in his career in February this year when he appeared in his first ranking final. At the Welsh Open in Llandudno, he knocked out the likes of Luca Brecel, Chris Wakelin and Marco Fu. He was denied the title by Gary Wilson, but came away with a significant boost to his self-belief. O'Donnell finished strongly in each of the first two groups, winning crucial matches against Ricky Walden and Ma Hailong.
David Lilley
Age: 48
From: Washington, England
World ranking: 64
Ranking titles: 0
Ranking finals: 0
Victory would make Lilley the oldest ever first-time ranking event winner, just three months short of his 49th birthday. He spent some 30 years as an amateur while working in the insurance industry, but in 2019 earned a tour card and decided to swap the pen for the cue and commit to snooker full time. He's now into the last eight of a ranking event for the second time in his career, and first since the 2016 Indian Open when he was competing as an amateur.
Long Zehuang
Age: 27
From: China
World ranking: 88
Ranking titles: 0
Ranking finals: 0
Long turned pro in 2023, graduating from the CBSA tour, and enjoyed some impressive results during his debut season, notably reaching the last 16 of the Shoot Out and the last 32 of the World Open. He topped his group in the second stage in Leicester with 3-0 wins over both Hossein Vafaei and Jamie Jones. Long may be the under-dog in the final phase, but could be dangerous.