Ronnie O’Sullivan to headline Hong Kong Masters – in a bubble
Hong Kong – Ronnie O’Sullivan will headline Hong Kong’s top snooker tournament when it returns after a five-year hiatus, organisers said Friday, but the world champion will compete inside a Covid-secure “bubble”.
The Hong Kong Masters will take place on October 6-9 at a 10,000-seat venue and the local governing body said it could be the largest-ever live crowd at a snooker competition.
The last edition of the Masters, in 2017, saw Neil Robertson beat O’Sullivan in the final. Both players will return, alongside Judd Trump, Mark Selby and John Higgins.
The Chinese city is trying to reboot its pandemic-hit sports scene but Vincent Law of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council said its “harsh” virus measures, which follow a more lenient version of China’s zero-Covid strategy, had left many top international players baffled.
“They don’t understand why Hong Kong, an international city, is still lagging behind in anti-epidemic policies,” Law told reporters.
