Rankings Update: Barnsley Qualifiers Vital In Coral Race
This week’s qualifying rounds for the BetVictor German Masters and BetVictor European Masters will be crucial in the race to qualify for the Coral Series events early in 2020.
They are the last two counting tournaments before the field is set for the Coral World Grand Prix in Cheltenham, with only the top 32 on the one-year ranking list to qualify:
Coral World Grand Prix, Cheltenham, February 3-9. Top 32 on the one-year list after the BetVictor German Masters will qualify.
Coral Players Championship, Southport Waterfront, February 24 to March 1. Top 16 on the one-year list after the BetVictor Shoot Out.
Coral Tour Championship, Llandudno, March 17-22. Top eight on the one-year list after the BetVictor Gibraltar Open.
Ben Woollaston is currently in 32nd position with £43,250, and there is just £9,250 separating 28th from 39th:
28 Xiao Guodong £45,000
29 Matthew Selt £44,750
30 Ricky Walden £44,750
31 Li Hang £44,500
32 Ben Woollaston £43,250
33 Zhou Yuelong £42,250
34 Zhao Xintong £42,250
35 Mark Joyce £41,250
36 Anthony McGill £39,000
37 Anthony Hamilton £36,750
38 Jimmy Robertson £36,500
39 Scott Donaldson £35,750
The first two rounds of both the BetVictor German Masters and BetVictor European Masters will be played this week in Barnsley with only 32 players going through to the final venues in Austria and Germany. With £3,000 available for first round winners and a further £1,000 in the second round, this week’s results will be important in the race to Cheltenham.
Dornbirn in Austria will host a world ranking event for the first time next month
Mark Selby won the 19.com Scottish Open on Sunday and the £70,000 top prize sees him move from fourth to third, behind Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy. Jack Lisowski was runner-up and his £30,000 cheque boosts him from 24th to 13th.
There are several recent ranking event winners currently outside the top 32 who could need a deep run in either Austria or Germany. Anthony McGill is 36th while Jimmy Robertson is 38th, Luca Brecel 45th, Marco Fu 50th and Ryan Day 60th. With top prizes of £80,000 up for grabs in both Dornbirn and Berlin, every player on the tour still has a chance.
On the official two-year list, Selby moves up two places to fourth, while Lisowski is up one spot to 13th. Judd Trump reached the quarter-finals in Glasgow and his lead over second-placed Mark Williams is a huge £442,750 going into 2020.
Tickets for all three Coral Series events are on sale now – for details click here.