Snooker

Snooker World Open 2026: Competitive Week Ahead In Yushan

3 hours ago

| BY Sam Cox

The 2026 World Open begins on March 16. Yushan is the venue for the tournament which runs until March 22.

Zhao Xintong is the snooker betting favourite as of March 12 ahead of Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Mark Selby, Barry Hawkins, Stephen Maguire, David Gilbert, and Chris Wakelin withdrew from the tournament. Their round of 64 opponents will all receive walkovers to the round of 32.

World Open Odds:

Punters can bet on the 2026 Snooker World Open at William Hill and here is the current state of the market:

Zhao Xintong – 11/4
Judd Trump – 3/1
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 7/1
Kyren Wilson – 8/1
Shaun Murphy – 9/1
John Higgins – 10/1
Wu Yize – 10/1
Mark Williams – 14/1

Two Clear Favourites

Despite a defeat to Stuart Bingham at the Welsh Open, Zhao Xintong has the shortest odds for the World Open at 11/4. Zhao won the Players Championship and the World Grand Prix last month, making him the form player in snooker right now.

Notably, Zhao beat Trump in Riyadh in November last year. Trump reached the semi-final of the Players Championship before losing a tight match to John Higgins, which was the same fate he suffered at the Masters.

Trump is a perennial contender. The world number one is always worth considering when coming into a tournament like this, while Zhao is playing arguably the best snooker of his life.

Welsh Open Success

Barry Hawkins won the Welsh Open with a 9-5 triumph over Jack Lisowski in the final, but remains no more than an outsider for the World Open. Lisowski is a tricky player to evaluate given his poor form leading into the Welsh Open.

Hawkins, meanwhile, saw off Mark Williams and Neil Robertson on his run to success in Wales. He also defeated Ding Junhui in the World Grand Prix.

Wu Yize, a semi-finalist at the Welsh Open, has had a mixed time in 2026. He made the final of the Championship League but has had some disappointing losses since then.

Established Winners

Form obviously matters when looking at an event at like the World Open, but it’s worth remembering the players that have been there and done it on the biggest stages. O’Sullivan and Higgins are in the latter part of their respective careers, yet remain two of the best players in the world.

Kyren Wilson, despite being without a ranking title this season, is a player to take seriously. He’s ranked number two in the world for a reason and won’t have to face Trump, Mark Selby, O’Sullivan, Higgins, or Zhao until the semi-finals.