Australian Open
The Australian Open is a professional snooker tournament that has been held in Australia since 2011. It is one of the many prestigious snooker tournaments on the calendar, attracting some of the best players from around the world.
The tournament is usually held in the beautiful city of Melbourne, known for its artsy vibe, delicious coffee, and iconic laneways. The venue for the Australian Open is the famous Melbourne Park, which is also home to the Australian Open tennis tournament.
The tournament is a ranking event on the World Snooker Tour, meaning that players can earn valuable ranking points by competing in the event. The Australian Open has a prize fund of around AUD$500,000, making it one of the more lucrative tournaments on the circuit.
The Australian Open is a nine-day event, typically held in mid-July. The first four days are qualifying rounds, with players competing in best-of-seven frames matches. The top 16 players from the qualifying rounds then advance to the final stages of the tournament, which are held over the final five days.
One of the unique features of the Australian Open is the fact that it is played using a random draw. This means that the players are drawn against each other at random, rather than being seeded based on their ranking. This adds an extra element of excitement to the tournament, as any player can potentially be drawn against any other player.
In addition to the main tournament, the Australian Open also features a Pro-Am event, where amateur players can compete against the professionals. This is a great opportunity for local snooker enthusiasts to test their skills against some of the best players in the world.
As for the players who have had success at the Australian Open, it’s a relatively short list. Stuart Bingham has won the tournament twice, in 2011 and 2015, while Neil Robertson, one of Australia’s best players, won the event in 2019.
Overall, the Australian Open is an exciting addition to the snooker calendar, giving players the chance to compete in one of the world’s most beautiful cities and experience the unique Australian culture. So, if you find yourself Down Under in mid-July, be sure to check out the Australian Open and witness some of the world’s best snooker players in action.