2025 World Open (snooker)


The 2025 World Open was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 23 February to 1 March 2025 at the Yushan Sport Centre in Yushan, China. Qualifiers took place from 20 to 22 December 2024 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. The 14th ranking event of the 202425 season, it followed the 2025 Welsh Open and preceded the 2025 World Grand Prix. The winner received £175,000 from a total prize fund of £825,000.
Judd Trump was the defending champion, having defeated Ding Junhui 104 in the final of the 2024 event, but he lost 25 to Joe O'Connor in the last 32. John Higgins won the tournament, defeating O'Connor 106 in the final to claim the 32nd ranking title of his career and his first since the 2021 Players Championship four years earlier. Aged, he became the ranking event winner, after Ray Reardon, who was aged when he won the 1982 Professional Players Tournament. Higgins also set a new record for the longest interval between a player's first and most recent ranking title, his victory coming after his maiden ranking title at the 1994 Grand Prix.
The event produced 136 century breaks, with 97 made during the main stage and 39 in the qualifying matches. The highest was a maximum break by Shaun Murphy in his match against Zhou Jinhao. It was the 10th maximum break of Murphy's professional career.

Overview

The tournament took place from 23 February to 1 March 2025 at the Yushan Sport Centre in Yushan, China. The fourteenth ranking event of the 202425 season, and the fifth and last major tournament of the season to be held in mainland China, the tournament was the sixth edition of the World Open since 2016. Originally created in 1982 as the Professional Players Tournament, the tournament was held in the UK as the Grand Prix and LG Cup from 1984 to 2009, and was renamed the World Open in 2010. China hosted the event from 2012 to 2014 in Haikou, and in Yushan since 2016.
Judd Trump was the defending champion, having won the event in 2019 and again, after a hiatus due to the pandemic, in 2024, defeating 2017 World Open champion Ding Junhui 104 in the final.
Jiangxi Weide Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was the lead sponsor of the event.

Format

Qualification for the tournament took place from 20 to 22 December 2024 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. Qualifying matches involving defending champion Judd Trump, reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson, the two highest-ranked Chinese players, four Chinese wildcards ; and Daniel Womersley were held over to be played at the main venue in Yushan.
All matches were played as the best of nine up to and including the. The were the best of 11 frames and the final was a best of 19 frames match played over two.

Broadcasters

The qualifying matches were broadcast domestically by Migu and Huya in China; by Discovery+ in Europe ; and Matchroom.live in all other territories.
The main stage of the event was broadcast domestically by [CCTV-5|], Migu, and Huya in China; by Eurosport in mainland Europe as well as Discovery+ in Germany, Italy and Poland, and Max in all other European territories; Now TV in Hong Kong; True Sports in Thailand; Sportcast in Taiwan; Sportstars and Vision+ in Indonesia; and WST Play in all other territories.
As a result of the previously announced closure of Eurosport in the UK and Ireland on 28 February 2025, some linear channel sessions of the tournament in the region, including the and final, required a subscription for £30.99 per month for TNT Sports: the snooker was provided by TNT Sports 3. Although Discovery+ could be accessed in the same locations, the video service was also accessible only through a £30.99 per month subscription, if no access was provided free of charge to Discovery+ by a Pay TV service provider.

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for the event is shown below:
  • Winner: £175,000
  • Runner-up: £75,000
  • Semi-final: £33,000
  • Quarter-final: £22,000
  • Last 16: £14,000
  • Last 32: £9,000
  • Last 64: £5,000
  • Highest break: £5,000
  • Total: £825,000

Summary

Qualifying

On 20 December 2024 Barry Hawkins beat Cheung Ka Wai 51, Zak Surety fourteenth seed Si Jiahui, and Chris Totten defeated Stuart Bingham 51. In the second Bingham made a 72 before Totten replied with a 73 to win on the final.
On 21 December 2024 John Higgins beat Wang Yuchen 54, Lei Peifan recovered from 04 down to defeat Anthony Hamilton 54, and Jak Jones whitewashed Allan Taylor.
On 22 December 2024 Luca Brecel beat amateur Iulian Boiko 53, Sunny Akani defeated sixth seed Mark Williams 52, and Amir Sarkhosh beat David Gilbert 53, winning the eighth frame on the final black. Mark Selby made a 142 break in the to beat Artemijs Žižins 54, and Mark Allen won the last two frames to beat Rory Thor 54.

Early rounds

Before the start of the tournament, it was announced that Ronnie O'Sullivan, Luca Brecel, Ricky Walden, Chris Totten, and Jak Jones had withdrawn. O'Sullivan was replaced by amateur player Daniel Womersley; and the other four players' opponents were given walkovers to the.

Held over matches

The held-over qualifying matches were played on 23 February 2025 as the best of nine. Defending champion Judd Trump whitewashed Xing Zihao 50, making century breaks in the second and third frames. With the match lasting just 58 minutes and Xing only scoring 40 points, Trump said afterwards: "I'm very happy to play that well in my first match, in the first round you just want to get through as easily as possible." Ding Junhui beat compatriot Jiang Jun 51, also recording two century breaks of 141 and 130. Reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson defeated Hammad Miah 52, and Stan Moody beat Zhang Anda 53, making a high break of 123. Only one of the four Chinese amateur wildcards made it through to the ; as Zhou Jinhao defeated Sanderson Lam 51, making a break of 119 in the second frame.

Last 64

The last-64 matches were played on 23 and 24 February 2025 as the best of nine frames. John Higgins beat Mark Davis 51, making two centuries in the match and saying afterwards: "He didn't really show up today, but I played well." World number 61 Liu Hongyu defeated third seed Mark Selby 52, also compiling two century breaks in the match. Polish professional Antoni Kowalski beat Matthew Stevens 53, making a high break of 133, and after leading 31 at the interval, Wu Yize beat Jackson Page 54.
Shaun Murphy made the tenth 147 break of his career in the last frame of his whitewash victory over Chinese amateur player Zhou Jinhao. In the match Murphy also made the 700th century break of his career.
In a surprise early exit for 5th seed Mark Allen, he was defeated 45 by David Lilley which Lilley described as his "best win ever". Judd Trump defeated Long Zehuang 51, making three century breaks in the match. Now having made 79 centuries in the season and WST offering a £100,000 bonus for the first player to make 100 centuries in the season, Trump commented: "Looking back I probably should have entered a few more tournaments because I didn't think I would get close to the bonus."
Duane Jones recovered from 04 down to beat Xiao Guodong 54, winning the with a after being 154 behind. Jones said afterwards: "At first I was trying to make the score respectable, but then from 42 I wasn't far behind.... From 40 down, 99 times out of 100 you lose, but you just never know. I played well and rode my luck." Kyren Wilson defeated Lei Peifan 51, and Stan Moody beat Graeme Dott 52. Barry Hawkins defeated Jamie Jones 52, and Ding Junhui beat Joe Perry 52, making breaks of 123 and 138.

Last 32

The last-32 matches were played on 25 February 2025 as the best of nine frames. Defending champion Judd Trump was defeated for the first time in seven years in the World Open as he lost 25 to Joe O'Connor, and Shaun Murphy whitewashed Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. David Lilley beat Wu Yize 54 with breaks of 105 and 100, and Liu Hongyu recovered from 14 down to beat Elliot Slessor 54. Jimmy Robertson defeated Aaron Hill 54 with breaks of 101 and 132, and Ali Carter beat Jack Lisowski 54. Zhou Yuelong defeated Kyren Wilson 54, and Ding Junhui beat Hossein Vafaei 53.

Last 16

The last-16 matches were played on 26 February 2025 as the best of nine frames.
In the afternoon session Zak Surety beat Liu Hongyu 52; after the match Surety said: "I played well until 32 up, then in the sixth frame I was trying to keep the same momentum and same rhythm but I started panicking and waiting for things to go wrong. I still managed to go 42 up, then in the last frame I was struggling to even count let alone pot the balls. I still can't feel my legs. I'm playing well, but in the crucial parts of frames and matches I am letting the occasion get to me." Barry Hawkins beat Ryan Day 53; after the match Hawkins said: "I feel fortunate because my game hasn't be there this week, I am riding my luck, battling hard and nicking frames. I'm still here and I can always improve in the next round. It has been a good season for me, I have been at the business end of a lot of tournaments, although I would have liked to win a final. I am in all of the big tournaments coming up so I can enjoy the rest of the season." John Higgins recovered from 24 behind to beat Zhou Yuelong 54, equalling the record held by Ronnie O'Sullivan of reaching 146 ranking event. After the match Higgins said: "I have been on the wrong end of a lot of deciders lately, so I'm delighted, it's a great win for me. Zhou was looking really strong at 42. I love him as a boy and as a player. His game is so good, it's just a matter of time before he gets into the winner's enclosure." Pang Junxu defeated Xu Si 52.
In the evening session Ali Carter beat David Lilley 51; after the match Carter said: "That's probably the best I've played in the last few events, I really enjoy playing Jack because he's the closest thing we've got to Ronnie O'Sullivan. When you play him, you have a tiger by the tail the whole time, he's so inspirational. For me to grind out a victory was very pleasing." Shaun Murphy defeated Ding Junhui 52, Tom Ford beat Jimmy Robertson 53, and Joe O'Connor beat Michael Holt 53.

Later rounds

Quarter finals

The quarter-finals were played on 27 February 2025 as the best of nine frames.
In the afternoon session John Higgins whitewashed Pang Junxu, making a 125 break in the first frame. After the match Higgins said: "If you ever lose the hunger to win, you may as well not bother. For me that has never been in question, but sometimes it's the mental fragility or the pressure. I have been doing something different for the last couple of months, you try little things. I played Zak in Wuhan and we had a good game. He's really improved this week. He's very relaxed and really enjoying it. He's had a great win against Tom today. He's such a dangerous player so I'll have to try to play my best." Zak Surety beat Tom Ford 53, with breaks of 133 and 103. After the match Surety said: "I am in unknown territory now, I am enjoying it, although I'm also waiting to go home. I want to have a cup of tea, go running in the woods, play with my dogs and see my mum. Maybe that's relaxing me. But when I'm in the arena, I'm desperate to win. I want to be a top snooker player and there are big ranking points on offer. So I'm fighting myself. I was very nervous today, although I felt better after the interval and I can't work out why, because it's the biggest match I have ever played in. I have had a a few times and lost my way. But when I'm in the balls, I feel good, as if I am playing PlayStation. I've got to enjoy it, let's see what happens tomorrow. I have played John before in China and it was a close game, though that was on an outside table."
In the evening session Joe O'Connor defeated Shaun Murphy 51, with breaks of 135, 100 and 132, Murphy also making a 128 break. After the match O'Connor said: "I played really well and didn't give Shaun many chances. When the long pots are going in you have to punish the top players, that's what I did today and I'm proud of it. It's cementing confidence I have had for many years. This week it has all come together and hopefully I can win the trophy. If I play like that it will take a lot to stop me. I have been consistent for a while now and when my game clicks I feel I can beat anyone." Ali Carter recovered from 13 and 34 down to beat Barry Hawkins 54. After the match Carter said: "I lost to Stephen Maguire in the semis of the Welsh, I felt I was hot favourite but I got myself at it, stopped myself from playing well and sort of threw it away. I learned my lesson from that and I was determined not to do that again and lose due to my own temperament and stupidity. In this game you have to stick at it and be resilient. The older you get, the harder it is to do that.... Joe bossed the game against Shaun, every time I looked at the scoreboard it looked like he wasn't missing a ball. It will be an intriguing match and I'm looking forward to it."

Semi finals

The semi-finals were played on 28 February 2025 as the best of eleven frames.
In the afternoon session John Higgins recovered from 35 down to beat Zak Surety 65, making a 113 break in the fifth frame. With this win Higgins, aged, became the oldest ranking event finalist since the 1986 Grand Prix when Rex Williams, aged, lost to Jimmy White. After the match Higgins said: "Zak totally outplayed me, he just missed a couple of crucial balls at the end. He was holding himself together brilliantly at 53, every credit to him in his first semi. It's a tough game when you're under pressure. It will be hard for him to take but hopefully he'll reflect on reaching the and the ranking points. He is such an improved player, I think he'll keep moving up. Hopefully this will make him better as every player goes through devastating losses. He had some nice words for me at the end and that shows the mark of the man. You want good things to happen to people like that, when they take defeats with good grace."
In the evening session Joe O'Connor beat Ali Carter 63. After the match O'Connor said: "It was another solid performance, Ali wasn't at his best but I took my chances when I got them. I feel I'm a more complete player than I was when I last reached a final in 2022, I am more consistent and my scoring has definitely improved. Hopefully that can continue and who knows what will happen tomorrow. I'd say 99.9% of the time I don't feel nerves, I try to just focus on the next shot and that doesn't leave room for nerves to creep in."

Final

The final was played on 1 March 2025 as the best of 19 frames, played over two.
John Higgins, appearing in his 57th ranking final, faced Joe O'Connor, who was playing in only his second. At the end of the afternoon session Higgins led O'Connor 62. Higgins went on to win the match 106 and take the title, making the only century break of the match in the 16th frame. It was Higgins's 32nd ranking title and his first since the 2021 Players Championship. Aged, Higgins became the ranking event winner, after Ray Reardon, who was old when Reardon won the 1982 Professional Players Tournament. After the match Higgins said: "I'm just delighted. I am drained, there has been a lot of nervous energy in the last couple of days. I am dead proud to win another big event at this age, I didn't know if I was going to win another event because I have taken so many devastating losses over the last three or four years. To come back and win this is a proud moment. Joe didn't play his best today, having been unbelievable all week. He didn't have the same game he had against Shaun, Judd, and Ali. The first frame was massive because he had a chance to win it on the last and if he had gone 10 up he would have taken confidence. I kept him under pressure, my was pretty good all day. He's a great player but just didn't turn up today, he'll come again I'm sure."

Main draw

The draw for the tournament is shown below. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the top 32 seeded players, an "a" indicates amateur players who were not on the main World Snooker Tour, and players in bold denote match winners.

Qualifying

Qualification for the tournament took place from 20 to 22 December 2024 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. Matches involving defending champion Judd Trump, reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson, the two highest-ranked Chinese players, four Chinese wildcards ; and Daniel Womersley were held over to be played at the final venue. Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the top 32 seeded players, an "a" indicates amateur players who were not on the main World Snooker Tour, and players in bold denote match winners.

Yushan

The results of the held-over matches played in Yushan on 23 February 2025 were as follows:5–0 5–1
  • 1–5 5–4 5–0 5–2
  • 3–5 5–3 5–2

Sheffield

The results of the qualifying matches played in Sheffield were as follows:

20 December 2024

5–1 5–0 5–0 5–0 5–3
  • 0–5 5–2 5–1 5–0 5–1 5–1 5–3
  • 4–5 5–3
  • 1–5 5–1
  • 1–5 5–3 5–1 5–2 5–4

21 December 2024

5–1 5–1 5–0 5–1 5–2 5–3 5–4 5–2 5–0 5–1 5–2 5–4
  • 4–5
  • 4–5
  • n/s–w/o 5–0 5–0 5–3 5–4 5–4 5–2

22 December 2024

5–0 5–0
  • 3–5
  • 2–5 5–2
  • 3–5 5–1 5–3 5–2
  • 2–5 5–3 5–4 5–4

Century breaks

Main stage centuries

A total of 97 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament in Yushan.

Qualifying stage centuries

A total of 39 century breaks were made during the qualifying stage of the tournament in Sheffield.