The 2026/27 snooker season continues this week with the 2026 British Open going down on the Centaur in Cheltenham.
It’s the fourth rating occasion of the marketing campaign and one in all solely a few tournaments on the snooker calendar that utilises a random-draw component for every spherical.
A qualifying stage was held in July, with a lot of the first-round matches from the final 128 already going down on the Mattioli Area in Leicester.
The fixtures involving the highest 16 seeds had been deferred to the venue phases, which means the match’s main gamers will now enter the motion in Cheltenham.
Defending champion Shaun Murphy returns to start his title defence towards 12-time ladies’s world champion Reanne Evans, whereas new world primary Zhao Xintong faces Oliver Brown.
When is the 2026 British Open?
The 2026 British Open runs from Monday, August 31 to Sunday, September 6 on the Centaur in Cheltenham.
Matches as much as and together with the final 16 shall be contested over the very best of seven frames, with the quarter-finals performed over the very best of 9, the semi-finals over the very best of 11, and the ultimate over the very best of 19.
British Open prize cash
Winner: £100,000
Runner-up: £45,000
Semi-finals: £20,000
Quarter-finals: £12,000
Final 16: £9,000
Final 32: £6,000
Final 64: £3,000
Highest break: £5,000
Complete: £502,000
Former champions
The British Open was first staged in 1985 and remained on the snooker calendar till 2004 earlier than returning in 2021.
Defending champion Shaun Murphy is among the many former winners concerned this 12 months, alongside Mark Selby, who lifted the trophy in 2024, John Higgins, and three-time champion Mark Williams.
Jimmy White and Ryan Day, in the meantime, each misplaced in the course of the preliminary section. Ronnie O’Sullivan, champion in 1994, has withdrawn.
Who’s within the draw?
A qualifying competitors was held in July, with a lot of the opening-round matches going down in Leicester earlier than the match strikes to Cheltenham.
The British Open is one in all solely two tournaments to make use of a random draw for every spherical – the opposite being the Shoot Out – making it one of many extra unpredictable occasions on the World Snooker Tour.
The highest 16 seeds have had their opening-round matches deferred to the venue phases, with defending champion Murphy dealing with Evans in one of many standout ties.
Zhao begins his first match because the world primary towards Oliver Brown, whereas world snooker champion Wu Yize takes on fellow Chinese language participant Liu Hongyu.
Different eye-catching ties embody Mark Williams towards David Gilbert, John Higgins towards Hossein Vafaei, and Chris Wakelin towards Luca Brecel.
Along with O’Sullivan, 2022 runner-up Mark Allen is one other acquainted face who’s absent from the sphere having additionally withdrawn.
Chang Bingyu, champion for the primary time in his profession finally week’s Wuhan Open, safely negotiated his opening take a look at within the preliminary section and can face Chatchapong Nasa within the final 64.
2026 British Open draw
Spherical of 128 (bo7)
Ashley Carty vs Si Jiahui
Liam Graham 4-3 Martin O’Donnell
Anthony McGill 4-3 Joe O’Connor
Wu Yize vs Liu Hongyu
Matthew Stevens 4-2 Antoni Kowalski
Artemijs Zizins 4-0 Michael Larkov
Ding Junhui vs Anton Kazakov
Jackson Web page 4-1 Fergal Quinn
Iulian Boiko 4-3 Luo Zetao
Xiao Guodong vs Jiang Jun
Mark Selby vs David Lilley
Judd Trump vs Dylan Emery
Zhang Anda 4-2 Alfie Burden
Joshua Thomond 4-3 Sam Craigie
Pang Junxu vs Neil Robertson
Ricky Walden 4-1 Gary Wilson
Yao Pengcheng 4-2 Ng On Yee
Jordan Brown 4-1 Liu Wenwei
Shaun Murphy vs Reanne Evans
Mahmoud El Hareedy 4-1 Lan Yuhao
Steven Hallworth 4-2 Marco Fu
Lengthy Zehuang 4-1 Leone Crowley
Oliver Brown vs Zhao Xintong
Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon 4-0 Gao Yang
Ishpreet Singh Chadha 4-3 Allan Taylor
Jack Lisowski 4-1 Scott Donaldson
Chatchapong Nasa 4-3 Ryan Day
Daniel Wells 4-2 Liam Pullen
Fan Zhengyi 4-1 Ben Woollaston
Florian Nüßle vs Kyren Wilson
Zak Surety 4-1 Huang Jiahao
Jamie Jones 4-1 Oliver Sykes
Xu Yichen 4-3 Oliver Strains
Jimmy Robertson 4-3 Zhou Yuelong
Phil O’Kane 4-2 Connor Benzey
Ben Mertens 4-1 Zhao Hanyang
David Grace 4-1 Michal Szubarczyk
Gong Chenzhi 4-3 Xu Si
Jak Jones 4-3 Matthew Selt
Duane Jones 4-0 Alexander Ursenbacher
Aaron Hill 4-2 Panchaya Channoi
Chang Bingyu 4-0 Stuart Bingham
Stan Moody 4-0 Paul Norris
Michael Holt 4-3 Cheung Ka Wai
Lyu Haotian 4-2 Yuan Sijun
Elliot Slessor 4-1 Julien Leclercq
Jamie Clarke 4-3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Ross Muir w/o Tom Ford
Mark Williams vs David Gilbert
John Higgins vs Hossein Vafaei
Noppon Saengkham 4-2 Ashley Hugill
Bai Yulu 4-1 Sahil Nayyar
Barry Hawkins vs Deng Haohui
Mitchell Mann 4-3 Louis Heathcote
Liu Yang 4-1 Andrew Higginson
Liam Highfield 4-1 Stephen Maguire
Liam Davies 4-2 Craig Steadman
He Guoqiang 4-0 Robbie Williams
Sean O’Sullivan 4-1 Jimmy White
Mark Joyce vs Mateusz Baranowski
Chris Wakelin vs Luca Brecel
Wang Xinbo vs Patrick Whelan
Lei Peifan 4-1 Hammad Miah
Ali Carter 4-0 Stuart Carrington
Spherical of 64 (bo7)
Jak Jones vs Anthony McGill
Jamie Jones vs Wang/Whelan
Gong Chenzhi vs He Guoqiang
Mitchell Mann vs Jack Lisowski
Jackson Web page vs Jimmy Robertson
Phil O’Kane vs Michael Holt
Joshua Thomond vs Artemijs Zizins
Chatchapong Nasa vs Chang Bingyu
Lyu Haotian vs Xiao/Jiang
N. Robertson/Pang vs Liam Graham
Stan Moody vs Yao Pengcheng
Liam Davies vs Hawkins/Deng
Noppon Saengkham vs Higgins/Vafaei
Iulian Boiko vs Xu Yichen
Sean O’Sullivan vs Ding/Kazakov
Joyce/Baranowski vs Jordan Brown
Liu Yang vs Duane Jones
Brown/Zhao vs Daniel Wells
Ali Carter vs Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon
Matthew Stevens vs Fan Zhengyi
Steven Hallworth vs Ishpreet Singh Chadha
Elliot Slessor vs Jamie Clarke
Bai Yulu vs Ross Muir
Mahmoud El Hareedy vs Liam Highfield
M. Williams/Gilbert vs Murphy/Evans
Trump/Emery vs Ricky Walden
Lei Peifan vs Selby/Lilley
Aaron Hill vs Ben Mertens
Wu/Liu vs Nuessle/Ok. Wilson
Zhang Anda vs Wakelin/Brecel
Lengthy Zehuang vs Carty/Si
David Grace vs Zak Surety
Learn how to watch the 2026 British Open
There are a number of choices out there to look at the British Open stay, relying in your location.
UK (and out there in some components of Eire)
5 and 5Action
Mainland Europe and chosen international locations
Eurosport and HBO Max
China
Huya.com
Migu
CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel
CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
Hong Kong China
Now Sports activities
Malaysia
Astro Supersport
Thailand
True Sport
Taiwan
Sportcast
New Zealand
Sky Sports activities
All different territories together with Republic of Eire
WST Play
Featured picture credit score: WST
