After final week’s World Open, the highest 16 gamers who will certainly function within the 2024 version of the World Snooker Championship are actually identified.

There’s nonetheless one rating occasion to go earlier than the massive one will get beneath method on the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield subsequent month.

Nevertheless, the 12-player area at subsequent week’s Tour Championship is made up solely of gamers already ranked inside the highest 16 on the official checklist.

Neil Robertson is the standout identify who will likely be compelled into the dreaded qualifiers this 12 months.

The Australian’s run to the semi-finals of the World Open in Yushan was not sufficient to see him safe an computerized berth on the Crucible.

Robertson, the world champion in 2010, continues to be formally ranked because the world quantity 14 as issues stand.

However with the factors from his 2022 Tour Championship triumph quickly to be deducted from his tally, the Melbourne man will plummet exterior the elite group.

It’ll mark the primary time since 2006 that Robertson should attend the qualifying competitors.

His demise is nice information for Robert Milkins, who regardless of at present being ranked in seventeenth will rise one spot after the essential subsequent revision of the standings.

Milkins has did not qualify for the Tour Championship, which means he will definitely symbolize the sixteenth seed in April’s massively anticipated World Championship draw.

Luca Brecel, who has did not qualify for the Tour Championship too, will after all be the highest seed because the reigning Crucible champion.

The Belgian memorably lifted the trophy for the primary time in 2023 with an 18-15 success over Mark Selby within the remaining.

With vital gaps each in entrance of him and behind him on the planet rankings, Selby can be assured of being the fifth seed in Sheffield.

The entire different seeding positions might change relying on how outcomes fare in subsequent week’s Tour Championship.

There’s a £150,000 prime prize up for grabs on the Manchester Central, so there’ll doubtless be a shuffle within the particular order of the seedings.

Tour Championship prize cash

Champion: £150,000
Runner-up: £60,000
Semi-Finals: £40,000
Quarter-Finals: £30,000
Spherical of 12: £20,000
Highest break: £10,000

World primary Ronnie O’Sullivan and Sunday’s World Open champion Judd Trump are at present in line to be the respective second and third seeds.

The 2 Englishmen have dominated the 2023/24 snooker season, accumulating ten titles between them throughout a prolific interval by which they’ve shared 5 items of silverware every.

All indicators level to the pair being on a collision course to conflict in Sheffield.

In the event that they preserve their present positions, they’d probably meet on the semi-final stage, ending the opportunity of a repeat of the 2022 remaining.

Mark Allen might nonetheless upset that order, however the Northern Irishman would wish to win the Tour Championship.

Additional down, Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui, and Ali Carter provisionally occupy the remaining prime eight seeding spots.

Amongst these, solely Murphy hasn’t certified for the Tour Championship – the Magician failing to get the chance to defend the title he gained a 12 months in the past.

After a disappointing spell of kind, Kyren Wilson gained’t function within the penultimate rating occasion of this time period both.

Zhang Anda and Tom Ford, in the meantime, will likely be seeded gamers in Sheffield for the primary time of their careers.

2024 World Snooker Championship
Prime 16 Seeds

Notice: fastened seeding in RED. Different positions can change relying on leads to Tour Championship (TC).

Featured photograph credit score: WST