China Open postponed due to coronavirus, will have big World Championship impact

The 2020 China Open has been postponed due to the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus in the country, with a date not yet confirmed for when it will take place.

WST confirmed on Friday that the event, scheduled for 30 March – 5 April, has been moved and stated that discussions are ongoing over when it will now be held.

While it is clearly the right decision from WST, it does impact the snooker season dramatically as the China Open is the last tournament ahead of the World Championship.

With no trip to Beijing, the last event before the Crucible will now be the Tour Championship which runs from 17-22 March.

That gives players almost a full month before the start of the World Championship on 18 April, and a smaller break for those who have to go through qualifying, which runs from 8-15 April in Sheffield.

WST statement on 2020 China Open

‘Following extensive consultation between WST, the WPBSA and our many partners in China, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 China Open.

‘This flagship China event had been scheduled for March 30 to April 5 in Beijing, however considering the current health and travel situation in China our highest priority has to be the welfare of our players, staff and the many fans who travel around China and beyond.

Discussions with our partners in terms of staging this event at a later date are ongoing. In the meantime, our thoughts are with all of our many friends across China and in particular those affected by the coronavirus.’

While some players may appreciate the time off before the big one in Sheffield, and the significantly reduced travel schedule, the postponement will have a big impact on the seeding at the World Championship.

The ranking points from the 2018 China Open were due to come off the rankings at the end of the 2020 event, but they will now be removed after the Gibraltar Open on 15 March.

The seeding for the World Championship will be based on the rankings at the conclusion of the Tour Championship.

This will potentially be a kick in the teeth for players who did well at the 2018 China Open as their ranking points will be removed before the World Championship with no chance to defend them.

Mark Selby was the champion in Beijing two years ago and will see a whopping £225,000 drop off his ranking in March, while runner-up Barry Hawkins will lose £90,000.

With only the top 16 in the rankings guaranteed their spots as seeded players at the Crucible, those on the fringes of the elite group will also be unhappy to see ranking points drop off ahead of the World Championship.

Selby is not going to drop out of the top 16 before Sheffield, and Hawkins is very unlikely to, but the removal of ranking points will impact their seeding at the Crucible and their potential routes to the final.