O’Sullivan joins single limited time match, over half of TOP16 players compete

On February 20-23, 2020, the snooker single limited time match will start at the Colosseum in Watford. Thanks to O’Sullivan’s participation and the final lineup of the Players Championship to be determined, the single-time limited-time match that has been tasteless for many years has finally ushered in a major outbreak.

The first single limited time tournament was founded in 1990. Welsh star Darren Morgan won the championship for the first time. Barry Hearn “resurrected” this event in 2011 and held it as a non-ranked tournament for 6 years, during which 6 different players including Hawkins, Bond, and Gould were awarded. In 2017, the single limited time tournament was officially upgraded to a ranked tournament, which was open to 128 players. McGill, George U and Tachaia won the championship successively.

What is more embarrassing is that the single limited-time tournament that has become a ranked match does not seem to have much attention except for its own maverick format. In the past three competitions, the single-time limited-time championship prize was only 32,000 pounds, which is at the bottom of the rankings. The low prize money makes its impact on the player tournament minimal. Even in terms of time, the single limited time match has not been the last game before the Players Championship in the past three years, so it cannot play a final decisive role. In this context, in the previous three limited time singles, only about half of the TOP16 players would choose to participate.

After three years of tastelessness, the 2020 single limited time match suddenly broke out. First of all, the single-time limited-time championship prize was increased to 50,000 pounds. Although it was still at the bottom of the rankings, its influence on the player championship lineup began to increase. Secondly, due to the cancellation of the Indian Open, the single limited-time tournament has become the last game before the player championship, which will play a final decisive role in the single-season TOP16 list.

In this context, 11 of the top 16 in the latest world rankings participated. Although the two contenders for the extra £150,000 prize money of the ‘Europe Series’ ——

Robertson and Trump have not signed up and will fight to the death in Gibraltar; Higgins, Ding Junhui and others also chose to be absent. But as long as there is one player participating is enough, that is – Ronnie O’Sullivan.

This is O’Sullivan’s first time to participate in a single limited-time match of the nature of a ranked match. He will debut at the last minute of the first round (3 o’clock on February 22nd) against McManus. Previously, O’Sullivan had participated in single-time limited-time matches twice in 2011 and 2015, once reaching the semifinals and once losing in the second round. O’Sullivan has one and only one goal to participate in this season, to keep his ranking of 16th in a single season, and then get a chance to win the defending player championship, and then hit the tour championship that can only participate in the first 8 of the single season.

With the Welsh Open’s top 4 results, O’Sullivan raised his single-season ranking from 20th to 16th, but this is not enough to ensure his participation in the Players Championship. If O’Sullivan loses in the first round of a single limited time game, then 20 players will have a chance to surpass the Rockets. The closest challenger is Gary Wilson, ranked 17th, who needs to reach the £8,000 semi-final in a single limited time match. Rich Wharton ranked 36th, behind O’Sullivan by £49,250, which means that he needs to win the championship to complete the go-ahead.

Single limited time match first round vs. schedule

20th, 21: 00

A. Borg VS T. Uno, S. Maddox VS I. Figueiredo, K. Ma Fulin VS Yuan Sijun, D. Dell VS M. Mann, D. Lili VS G. Wilson, Zhang Anda

VS Fan Zhengyi, M. Davis VS H. Chandler, I. Boyko VS Chang Bingyu

M. Williams VS L. Brecher, Browning VS D. Wells, Si Jiahui VS Xiao Guodong, D. Grace VS D. Yang, M. Joyce VS C. Wakelin, Zhao Xintong VS

L. Chrysler, S. Akani VS M. Selby

21st, 3:00

K. Wilson VS M. White, L. Hiscot VS J. Clark, A. McGill VS Zhang Jiankang, L. Highfield VS J. Cahill, A. Padgett VS

S. Bingham, A. Hugh Gil VS J. O’Neill, Mexivan VS M. Celtic, Tu Zhenlong VS N. On Harute

M. Allen VS Luo Honghao, Li Xing VS A. Stefano, Lu Haotian VS R. Parsons, P. Davidson VS A. Hamilton, R. Milkins VS

D. Gilbert, S. Lichtenberg VS Lei Pefan, J. O’Connor VS E. Slyther, J. White VS M. Stevens

21st, 21: 00

S. Murphy VS K. Hillani, S. Vahdi VS A. Boden, B. Wollaston VS D. Jones, R. McQueen VS A. Hill, S. Donaldson VS J. Brown, M. George U

VS R. Bruman, R. Wharton VS Tian Pengfei, L. Walker VS Luning

Chen Zifan VS A. Carter, M. Gould VS A. Higginson, A. Amiri VS M. Holt, C. Steadman VS M. Miha, J. Lisowski VS

A. Hicks, H. Wafer VS A. Usenbach, M. Gould VS R. Laura, I. Burns VS R. Evans

22nd, 3:00

K. Philippiac VS K. Dahdi, B. Pinches VS R. Dai, T. Ford VS Zhou Yuelong, Li Junwei VS B. Casol, Xu Si VS Yan Bingtao, S. Baird VS

J. Jones, N. Sancam VS A. Katy, M. Dunn VS J. Astley

J. Page VS B. Hawkins, B. Sargent VS E. Sharaf, Liang Wenbo VS O. Lions, F. O’Brien VS Chen Feilong, J. Robertson VS J. Perry, F. Patrick

VS S. Carrington, P. Lions VS S. Craig, A. McManus VS R. O’Sullivan