With 30+ years in racing and betting, Darren helps punters develop their skills. As OLBG’s Tipster boss and expert guide, he turns insight into winning strategy.
World Open 2026: Draw and Results
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh prevailed 10-7 over Ronnie O'Sullivan and scored a maximum break of 147 in the process to win his first ranking title since 2019.
Un-Nooh ended the match with a blitz of high scoring, recording consecutive breaks of 132, 147 and 131 to lift the World Open trophy. O'Sullivan had contributed in no small part to the final himself, scoring four century breaks and signalling a return to form for the seven-times World Champion.
The World Open has been hit with a raft of player withdrawals. The following players will not be playing in Yushan and their scheduled opponents will receive a walkover:
- Mark Selby
- Barry Hawkins
- Neil Robertson
- Chris Wakelin
- Stephen Maguire
- Jak Jones
- David Gilbert
- Ishpreet Singh Chadha
The qualifiers for the World Open took place at the Barnsley Metrodome between the 10th and 12th of February.
The following top players (rankings in brackets) were beaten in the qualifying rounds:
- Ding Junhui (12)
- Si Jiahui (16)
- Joe O'Connor (26)
- Pang Junxu (27)
- Tom Ford (28)
Final - Best of nineteen frames (seedings in brackets):
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (11) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (41) 7-10
Semi-Finals - Best of nine frames (seedings in brackets):
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (11) v Wu Yize (13) 6-5
- Judd Trump (3) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (41) 4-6
Quarter-Finals - Best of nine frames (seedings in brackets):
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (11) v Ryan Day (35) 5-0 (O'Sullivan made a world record break of 153 in this match)
- Mark Allen (9) v Wu Yize (13) 1-5
- Judd Trump (3) v Hossein Vafaei (32) 5-1
- Gary Wilson (18) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (41) 1-5
Round Four - Best of nine frames (seedings in brackets):
- Ryan Day (35) v Artemijs Zizins (75) 5-4
- Shaun Murphy (8) v Ronnie O'Sullivan (11) 3-5
- Mark Allen (9) v Zhou Yuelong (30) 5-0
- Kyren Wilson (4) v Wu Yize (13) 2-5
- Judd Trump (3) v Robbie Williams (55) 5-2
- Zhang Anda (23) v Hossein Vafaei (32) 4-5
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (41) v Marco Fu (92) 5-2
- Zhao Xintong (2) v Gary Wilson (18) 2-5
Round Three - Best of nine frames (seedings in brackets):
- Ryan Day (35) v Stan Moody (50) 5-2
- Luca Brecel (43) v Artemijs Zizins (75) 1-5
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (11) v Matt Selt (37) 5-0
- Shaun Murphy (8) v Xu Si (38) 5-1
- Zhou Yuelong (30) v Xu Yichen (109) 5-1
- Mark Allen (9) v Jack Lisowski (22) 5-1
- Wu Yize (13) v Stuart Bingham (17) 5-4
- Kyren Wilson (4) v Allan Taylor (73) 5-1
- Judd Trump (3) v Jackson Page (34) 5-2
- Daniel Wells (39) v Robbie Williams (55)
- Xiao Guodong (10) v Zhang Anda (23) 2-5
- Mark Williams (6) v Hossein Vafaei (32) 2-5
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (41) v Michael Holt (60) 5-1
- Martin O'Donnell (47) v Marco Fu (92) 3-5
- Gary Wilson (18) v Ian Burns (97) 5-1
- Zhao Xintong (2) v Sam Craigie (87) 5-1
A number of qualifying matches were held over to the main venue.
Round Two - Best of nine frames (seedings in brackets):
- John Higgins (1) v Stan Moody (50) 4-5
- Lei Peifan (29) v Ryan Day (35) 1-5
- Chris Wakelin (15) v Artemijs Zizins (75) (walkover, Wakelin has withdrawn)
- Jak Jones (19) v Luca Brecel (43) (walkover, Jones has withdrawn)
- David Gilbert (24) v Matthew Selt (37) (walkover, Gilbert has withdrawn)
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (11) (105) v (walkover, Singh Chadha has withdrawn)
- Stephen Maguire (25) v Xu Si (38) (walkover, Maguire has withdrawn)
- Shaun Murphy (8) v David Lilley (53) 5-4
- Xu Yichen (109) v Umut Dikme (am) (walkover, Dikme has withdrawn)
- Zhou Yuelong (30) v He Guoqiang (44) 5-3
- Mark Allen (9) v Antoni Kowalski (71) 5-2
- Jack Lisowski (22) v Cheung Ka Wai (83) 5-1
- Stuart Bingham (17) v Anthony McGill (45) 5-4
- Wu Yize (13) v Chang Bingyu (62) 5-3
- Zak Surety (46) v Allan Taylor (73) 2-5
- Kyren Wilson (4) v Lyu Haotian (54) 5-2
- Judd Trump (3) v Florian Nuble (124) 5-1
- Jackson Page (34) v Liu Wenwei (108) 5-2
- Robbie Williams (55) v Zhao Hanyang (107) 5-4
- Elliot Slessor (21) v Daniel Wells (39) 0-5
- Zhang Anda (23) v Steven Hallworth (91) 5-1
- Xiao Guodong (10) v Julien Leclercq (74) 5-2
- Hossein Vafaei (32) v Matthew Stevens (48) 5-1
- Mark Williams (6) v Ricky Walden (49) 5-2
- Mark Selby (7) v Michael Holt (60) (walkover, Selby has withdrawn)
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (41) v David Grace (94) 5-1
- Iulian Boiko (81) v Marco Fu (92) 3-5
- Ali Carter (20) v Martin O'Donnell (47) 3-5
- Gary Wilson (18) v Aaron Hill (42) 5-4
- Barry Hawkins (14) v Ian Burns (97) (walkover, Hawkins has withdrawn)
- Sam Craigie (87) v Yao Pengcheng (103) 5-3
- Zhao Xintong (2) v Long Zehuang (52) 5-4
World Open: Previous Winners
Below is a table of all the previous winners of the World Open:
When selecting your bets for the World Open why not check out our blog on Player form in China which highlights the players with great records when playing in Asia.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Final Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Thepchaiya Un-Nooh | Ronnie O'Sullivan | 10-7 | Yushan, China |
| 2025 | John Higgins | Joe O'Connor | 10-6 | Yushan, China |
| 2024 | Judd Trump | Ding Junhui | 10-4 | Yushan, China |
| 2019 | Judd Trump | Thepchaiya Un-Nooh | 10-5 | Yushan, China |
| 2018 | Mark Williams | David Gilbert | 10-9 | Yushan, China |
| 2017 | Ding Junhui | Kyren Wilson | 10-3 | Yushan, China |
| 2016 | Ali Carter | Joe Perry | 10-8 | Yushan, China |
| 2014 | Shaun Murphy | Mark Selby | 10-6 | Haikou, China |
| 2013 | Mark Allen | Matthew Stevens | 10-4 | Haikou, China |
| 2012 | Mark Allen | Stephen Lee | 10-1 | Haikou, China |
World Open: Format and Prize Money for 2026
The World Open is played at the Yushan Sport Centre in China between the 16th and 22nd of March.
All rounds up to and including the quarter-finals are played over the best of nine frames. The semi-finals are player over eleven frames and the final will be played over nineteen frames.
The total prize fund for the 2026 World Open is £825,000 with £175,000 going to the winner.
Full prize breakdown:
- Winner: £175,000
- Runner-up: £73,000
- Semi-final: £33,000
- Quarter-final: £22,000
- Last sixteen: £14,000
- Last thirty-two: £9,000
- Last sixty-four: £5,000
- Highest break: £5000
OLBG's expert snooker tipsters will have tips on all the matches at The World Open.
Tournament Winners in 25/26
Below is a table of all the major tournament winners and runners-up for 25/26 season on the main tour.
We've seen fourteen different tournament winners over the last year with only Zhao Xintong (3), Kyren Wilson (2) and Mark Selby have won more than one event this season.
| Tournament | Winner (seeding in brackets, if available) | Runner-up (seeding in brackets, if available) |
|---|---|---|
| Welsh Open | Barry Hawkins (12) | Jack Lisowski (19) |
| Players Championship | Zhao Xintong (6) | John Higgins (16) |
| World Grand Prix | Zhao Xintong (18) | Zhang Anda (29) |
| German Masters | Judd Trump (3) | Shaun Murphy (8) |
| Masters | Kyren Wilson (4) | John Higgins (7) |
| Scottish Open | Chris Wakelin (13) | Chang Bingyu (92) |
| Shoot Out | Alfie Burden | Stuart Bingham (10) |
| UK Championship | Mark Selby (11) | Judd Trump (1) |
| Snooker Championship | Zhao Xintong (2) | Neil Robertson (5) |
| Champions Of Champions | Mark Selby (8) | Judd Trump (2) |
| International Championship | Wu Yize (19) | John Higgins (8) |
| Northern Ireland Open | Jack Lisowski (25) | Judd Trump (3) |
| Xi'an Grand Prix | Mark Williams (6) | Shaun Murphy (15) |
| British Open | Shaun Murphy (13) | Anthony McGill (58) |
| English Open | Mark Allen (9) | Zhou Yuelong (30) |
| Wuhan Open | Xiao Guodong (1) | Gary Wilson (18) |
| Saudi Arabia Masters | Neil Robertson (9) | Ronnie O'Sullivan (6) |
| Shanghai Masters | Kyren WIlson (3) | Ali Carter |
Of those players who have been seeded, Jack Lisowski is the lowest ranked winner at 25. Four other players ranked 25 or above did also make a final in this period.
OLBG has a number of top-quality snooker tipsters - why not check out the top snooker tipsters to help you with your snooker betting
World Open 2025: Draw and Results
John Higgins won his thirty-second ranking event and his first in over four years when overcoming Joe O'Connor 10-6 in the final of the World Open and in doing so ended a run of six consecutive defeats in ranking event finals.
Higgins won his first title in 1994, some thirty-years ago, and remains in thrid-place on the all-time list for most ranking event wins with only Stephen Hendry (36) and Ronnie O'Sullivan ahead of him.
This was a remarkable display of resilience from Higgins who had openly admitted he feared he would never win another event. Higgins, at 49 years and 287 days, is just 92 days younger than the oldest ever ranking event winner, Ray Reardon, who wan the Professional Players Tournament in 1982 at 50 years and fourteeen days.
The qualifiers for the World Open took place at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield between the 20th and 22nd of January.
The following top players (rankings in brackets) were beaten in the qualifying rounds:
- Mark Williams (6)
- Si Jiahui (14)
- David Gilbert (20)
- Stuart Bingham (25)
- Stephen Maguire (32)
- Matt Selt (34)
Neil Robertson was also due to play in the qualifiers but he got the dates for his match mixed up and couldn't make it to the venue in time.
In addition to the above players, the following have withdrawn:
- Ronnie O'Sullivan
- Jak Jones
- Luca Brecel
- Ricky Walden
- Chris Totten
Final - Best of nineteen frames:
John Higgins v Joe O'Connor 10-6
Semi-FInals - Best of eleven frames:
John Higgins v Zak Surety 5-4
Joe O'Connor v Ali Carter 6-3
Quarter-Finals - Best of nine frames:
Zak Surety v Tom Ford 5-3
Pang Junxu v John Higgins 0-5
Joe O'Connor v Shaun Murphy 5-1
Ali Carter v Barry Hawkins 5-4
Round Four - Best of nine frames:
Joe O'Connor v Michael Holt 5-3
Ding Junhui v Shaun Murphy 2-5
David Lilley v Ali Carter 1-5
Barry Hawkins v Ryan Day 5-3
Liu Hongyu v Zak Surety 2-5
Tom Ford v Jimmy Robertson 5-3
Pang Junxu v Xu Si 5-2
John Higgins v Zhou Yuelong 5-4
Round Three - Nest of nine frames:
Judd Trump v Joe O'Connor 2-5
Anton Kowalski v Michael Holt 1-5
Hossein Vafaei v Ding Junhui 3-5
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Shaun Murphy 0-5
David Lilley v Wu Yize 5-4
Ali Carter v Jack Lisowski 5-4
Ben Woollaston v Barry Hawkins 4-5
Ryan Day v Louis Heathcote 5-2
Liu Hongyu v Elliot Slessor 5-4
Zak Surety v Duane Jones 5-4
Tom Ford v Daniel Wells 5-3
Jimmy Robertson v Aaron Hill 5-4
Tian Pengfei v Pang Junxu 3-5
Stan Moody v Xu Si 3-5
Robbie Williams v John Higgins 3-5
Zhou Yuelong v Kyren Wilson 5-4
Round Two Draw - Best of nine frames
Judd Trump (1) v Long Zehuang (64) 5-1
Alfie Burden (77) v Joe O'Connor (33) 1-5
Antoni Kowalski (98) v Matthew Stevens (49) 5-3
Michael Holt (79) v Martin O'Donnell (48) 5-3
Yuan Sijun (41) v Hossein Vafaei (24) 4-5
Joe Perry (56) v Ding Junhui (9) 2-5
Thepchaiya Un Nooh (40) w/o Chris Totten (103)
Zhou Jinhhao (a) v Shaun Murphy (8) 0-5 (Murphy made his tenth maximum break in this match)
Mark Allen (5) v David Lilley (60) 4-5
Wu Yize (28) v Jackson Page (37) 5-4
Ali Carter (12) v He Guoqiang (53) 5-3
Jack Lisowski (21) v Scott Donaldson (44) 5-2
Ben Woollaston (45) v Amir Sarkhosh (96) 5-0
Jamie Jones (52) v Barry Hawkins (13) 2-5
Ryan Day (29) w/o Ricky Walden (36)
Louis Heathcote (68) v Stuart Carrington (75) 5-3
Mark Selby (3) v Liu Hongyu (62) 2-5
Elliot Slessor (30) v Lyu Haotian (35) 5-2
Zak Surety (86) v Jordan Brown (51) 5-4
Xiao Guodong (19) v Duane Jones (90) 4-5
Ishpreet Singh Chadha (69) v Tom Ford (22)
Daniel Wells (54) v Gary Wilson (11) 5-4
Jimmy Robertson (38) v Noppon Saengkham (27) 5-3
Aaron Hill (59) v Sunny Akani (92) 5-3
Tian Pengfei (58) w/o Luca Brecel (7)
Pang Junxu (26) v Anthony McGill (39) 5-0
Stan Moody (70) v Graeme Dott (55) 5-2
Robert Milkins (23) v Xu Si (42) 3-5
Robbie Williams (47) w/o Jak Jones (18)
Mark Davis (50) v John Higgins (15) 1-5
Manasawin Phetmalaikul (111) v Zhou Yuelong (31) 1-5
Lei Peifan (82) v Kyren Wilson (2) 1-5
World Open 2024: Draw and Results
The qualifiers for the World Open took place at the Barnsley Metrodome between the 22nd and 24th of January.
The following top players were beaten in the qualifying rounds:
- Jack Lisowski
- Gary Wilson
- Anthony McGill
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
- Stuart Bingham
Some qualifying games were heldover to the main venue.
David Gilbert, Sam Craigie, Adam Duffy and Iulian Boiko all withdrew from the event at this stage. Their opponents received a walkover to Round Three.
Final - Best of nineteen frames:
Judd Trump v Ding Junhui 10-4
Semi-FInals - Best of eleven frames:
Judd Trump v Jackson Page 6-2
Neil Robertson v Ding Junhui 5-6
Quarter-Finals - Best of nine frames:
Judd Trump v Kyren Wilson 5-2
Jackson Page v Elliot Slessor 5-2
Hossein Vafaei v Ding Junhui 0-5
Neil Robertson v Barry Hawkins 5-2
Round Four - Best of nine frames:
Judd Trump v David Lilley 5-3
Kyren Wilson v Ben Woolaston 5-4
Mark Selby v Jackson Page 2-5
Elliot Slessor v Daniel Wells 5-2
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Hossein Vafaei 4-5
Ding Junhui v Shaun Murphy 5-3
Neil Robertson v Chris Wakelin 5-1
Barry Hawkins v Stephen Maguire 5-1
Round Three Best of nine frames:
Judd Trump v Fan Zhengyi 5-3
Dominic Dale v David Lilley 2-5
Ashley Hugill v Kyren Wilson 3-5
Ricky Walden v Ben Woollaston 4-5
Mark Selby v Long Zehuang 5-2
Jackson Page v Wu Yize 5-3
Matthew Stevens v Elliot Slessor 1-5
He Guoqiang v Daniel Wells 3-5
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Lyu Haotian 5-2
Robert Milkins v Hossein Vafaei 2-5
Cao Yupeng v Ding Junhui 1-5
Joe Perry v Shaun Murphy 3-5
Neil Robertson v Yuan Sijun 5-2
Ali Carter v Chris Wakelin 1-5
Robbie Williams v Barry Hawkins 2-5
Stephen Maguire v Luca Brecel 5-1
Round Two - Best of nine frames:
Sanderson Lam v Judd Trump 2-5
Fan Zhengyi - walkover
Lukas Kleckers v Dominic Dale 4-5
Stuart Carrington v David Lilley 4-5
Jak Jones v Ashley Hugill 0-5
David Grace v Kyren Wilson 4-5
Jamie Jones v Rickie Walden 4-5
Ben Woolaston - walkover
Mark Selby - walkover
Long Zehuang v Si Jiahui 5-2
John Higgins v Jackson Page 3-5
Zhou Yuelong v Wu Yize 1-5
Ryan Day v Matthew Stevens
Elliot Slessor v Zhang Anda 5-3
He Guoqiang v Matt Selt
Daniel Wells v Mark Allen 5-4
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Michael White 5-3
Lyu Haotian v Aaron Hill 5-4
Robert Milkins - walkover
Hossein Vafaei v Graeme Dott 5-1
Cao Yupeng v Noppon Saengkham 5-3
Liu Hongyu v Ding Junhui 2-5
Joe Perry v Sean O'Sullivan 5-1
Shaun Murphy v Xu Si 5-3
Neil Robertson v Tian Pengfei
Ishpreet Sing Chadha v Yuan Sijun 3-5
Ali Carter v Louis Heathcote 5-3
Chris Wakelin v Jordan Brown
Robbie Williams v Tom Ford 5-4
Jason Kendrick v Barry Hawkins 2-5
Stephen Maguire v Pang Junxu 5-3
Oliver Brown v Luca Brecel 2-5
Remember to check out OLBG's top Snooker tipsters
