Wuxi Classic 2012 - the snooker party continues

That's right, if you thought we left China to return to the UK, you couldn’t have been any wronger, because we are staying in. We like China. China is good for snooker and snooker is good for China. 

Well, if we leave aside the fact that the crowd is sometimes overexcited and keeps on screaming and taking photos when the players are performing. Whaaat? It's a fact!

Anyway, moving on to serious matters - here we are at Wuxi taking part at what seems to be the first major ranking event of this season. 

The Wuxi Classic has been turned into a ranking tournament, we had the qualifying rounds at the beginning of this month, we had our  players being shipped to China with or without VISA problems, we have the wild-cards, so ... what's more to be said?

Oh yeah, unfortunately still no Ronnie O'Sullivan in the picture and this time no Matthew Stevens either. The Welshman accused back problems and had to pull out of the event, leaving Joe Perry with one less match to be played and a BYE to the second round.

Last year the event, although it wasn't a ranking one, was won by Mark Selby after a 7-9 scoreline over Ali Carter. This year, Selby, whose neck problems seem to have been 90 per cent sorted out, enters as defending champion and with a lot of pressure to handle considering that last season he took a pretty good start, but didn’t shine the rest of it.

So, without anything else to add, let's get the boys on the baize ... or whatever they say in China!

Monday June 25

7.30 am
WC2 Jamie Burnett v Jin Long
21 Matthew Stevens w/d Joe Perry BYE
WC4 Rod Lawler v Li Hang
WC5 Dave Harold v Rouzi Maimaiti
 
12.30 am
WC7 Michael Holt v Zhu Yinghui
9 Mark Selby v Barry Hawkins
WC6 Fergal O'Brien v Lu Haotian
WC8 Robert Milkins v Chen Feilong
*all hours are UK time

TV coverage: