Boys on baize set for power show

SNOOKER: THE Power Snooker Masters comes to Manchester on November 19 and 20, bringing the biggest names from the sport in a fast-paced event.

Promoters Barry Hearn and Frank Warren joined forces to launch the nine-reds, 30-minute match format which will see the top 16 players in the world compete for the title of Power Snooker champion.

The tournament is being held at EventCity at The Trafford Centre and starts on Saturday, November 19, when the first-round draw is:

Mark Selby v Matthew Stevens; John Higgins v Mark Allen; Ding Junhui v Graeme Dot; Ali Carter v Ronnie O’Sullivan; Judd Trump v Martin Gould; Shaun Murphy v Stuart Bingham; Neil Robertson v Stephen Maguire; Mark Williams v Stephen Lee.

Hearn said: “It’s a new era for snooker and we are embracing a variety of formats of the game.

“Power Snooker is an exciting development and we welcome it. It’s an entertaining game and the players are 100 per cent behind it.

“Power Snooker is not traditional snooker. The atmosphere will be more like a darts tournament than a snooker event.”

Tickets are available for the live action in the main arena or, for those who want to enjoy the ultimate sports-bar experience, passes for the Power Snooker Fanzone are just £10.

For that, fans can enjoy a few drinks while they watch every match on the big screen, see the players practice and do a bit of celebrity spotting.

The event will be shown live on ITV4 and to obtain tickets, go to: www.ticketline.co.uk/power-snooker