Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | 17–23 June 2013 |
Venue | Wuxi City Sports Park Stadium |
City | Wuxi |
Country | China |
Organisation | World Snooker |
Format | Ranking event |
Total prize fund | £470,000 |
Winner's share | £80,000 |
Highest break | 138 (x2) |
Final | |
Champion | ![]() |
Runner-up | ![]() |
Score | 10–7 |
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The 2013 Sports Lottery Cup Wuxi Classic was a professional ranking snooker tournament held between 17 and 23 June 2013 at the Wuxi City Sports Park Stadium in Wuxi, China. It was the first ranking event of the 2013/2014 season.[1]
The tournament was the first to use the new format, similar to the one used in the minor-ranking Players Tour Championship events, where every player, including members of the top 16, started in the first round.[2] Some of the sport's biggest names did not reach the tournament's final stage. Reigning world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan withdrew for personal reasons shortly before his qualifying match against Michael Wasley.[3] World number one Mark Selby lost his qualifying match 3–5 to Andrew Pagett.[4] World number four Shaun Murphy also exited the tournament at the qualifying stage, losing 1–5 to Alex Davies.[5]
Nine-time women's world champion Reanne Evans defeated Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5–4 in her qualifying match to become the first woman ever to reach the final stages of a major professional ranking tournament.[6][7] Evans was chosen as one of four players to play against local opponents in the wildcard round, and she lost 2–5 against Chinese teenager Zhu Yinghui.[8][9]
Ricky Walden was the defending champion,[10][11] but he lost 2–5 against Jimmy White in the last 64.[9][12]
Neil Robertson won his eighth ranking title by defeating John Higgins 10–7 in the final.[13][14] Robertson also made the 98th official maximum break during his qualifying match against Mohamed Khairy. This was Robertson's second 147 break and the first in the 2013/2014 season.[15]