With the qualifying tournament for the Shanghai Masters due to get underway in early August, World Snooker have this week published the draw for both the qualifying rounds and last 32 stage, as well as the qualifying format.
The various documents can be accessed here at their official website, or alternatively at snookerorg here.
Looking at the draw reveals a strong field, with only Ronnie O’Sullivan from the world’s top 84 players having declined to enter, which means that Ben Woollaston will receive a top 32 seeding meaning that he has to win just one qualifying match, rather than three.
The other professionals absent are invitational tour card holders in Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry, as well as Ju Reti, Liu Chuang, Akani Songsermsawad, Hatem Yassin, Igor Figueiredo, Itaro Santos and Steve Mifsud.
The qualifiers get underway at the Barnsley Metrodome from Wednesday 5th August.