Snooker’s Elite Clash in Hong Kong: O’Sullivan vs O’Connor, Robertson Defends Title in World Grand Prix Showdown
The 2026 World Grand Prix in snooker will see Ronnie O’Sullivan face Joe O’Connor in his opening match, as the event heads to Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Arena from February 3-8. With a total prize pool of £700,000, the winner will take home £180,000. The competition is open to the top 32 players on the one-year ranking list, with the seeding determined by their positions. The top seed plays No. 32, the second seed plays No. 31, and so on.
Neil Robertson, the defending champion after his dominant 10-0 victory over Stuart Bingham in last season’s final, enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed. He’ll meet former Crucible finalist Jak Jones in his first-round match. Meanwhile, Mark Selby, seeded second, faces Ireland’s Aaron Hill, who is ranked 31st. O’Sullivan, the sixth seed, has a tough challenge ahead, taking on Joe O’Connor, ranked 27th. The two have met once before in a ranking event, with O’Sullivan triumphing 5-0 at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August.
Other exciting matchups include third seed Shaun Murphy against Pang Junxu (seeded 30th), and fourth seed Mark Williams facing Zhang Anda (seeded 29th). Among the most anticipated first-round encounters are Wu Yize vs Anthony McGill and Kyren Wilson vs Xiao Guodong, which could set up a potential showdown with O’Sullivan in the last 16.
The World Grand Prix is the first event in the Players Series, which also includes the Players Championship and the Tour Championship. Matches are played over a best-of-nine-frame format, with semi-finals contested over best-of-11 frames and the final being a best-of-19-frame contest.
Robertson, who made history with two whitewashes in ranking finals, will aim to defend his title after last season’s unforgettable victory, which saw him lead 8-0 in the final with breaks of 87, 104, and 72, among others.
