Ronnie O'Sullivan moves further ahead at top of snooker world rankings, Luca Brecel and Zhao Xintong on the rise
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ByEurosport
Updated 31/07/2022 at 09:35 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan lost in the last 32 of the Championship League in Leicester, but the world champion has consolidated his position at the top of the sport's rankings after the first event of the new campaign. Championship League winner Luca Brecel has moved up to seventh on the provisional list with UK holder Zhao Xintong rising to fourth. Watch snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+
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Ronnie O'Sullivan's position as world No. 1 looks likely to last for some time after he moved further ahead at the top of the rankings in Leicester.
Despite losing in the last 32 of the Championship League at the Morningside Arena, the world champion consolidated the coveted top spot by picking up another 5,000 points.
He moves onto £777,500 in the provisional end of season rankings after the first event of the 2022/23 campaign.
With provisional world No. 2 Neil Robertson opting out of a trip to Leicester, O'Sullivan is 336,500 points clear of the Masters champion boosted by the £500,000 he collected for winning his seventh world title in May.
Crucible finalist and 2019 world champion Judd Trump collected 2,000 points in exiting the Championship League at the first group stage and is a further 3,000 adrift of the Australian player in third place.
Belgium's Luca Brecel has moved up to seventh in the provisional list after earning £36,000 from his exploits in lifting the third ranking title of his career at the Championship League with a 3-1 win over Lu Ning.
He is guaranteed at least another 3,000 points from reaching the last 64 of the European Masters – the season's second ranking event – which takes place in the German city of Furth between 16-21 August, live on Eurosport.
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UK champion Zhao Xintong has moved up to fourth in the world after earning £9,000 in qualifying for the final day of the Championship League and recording the highest competitive break of his career with a glorious 145.
Zhao is also assured of another 3,000 points for reaching the second round of the European Masters.
Mark Selby has work to do to regain his top-16 status.
The world No. 3 has slipped to 23rd on the provisional rankings after a rare trophyless campaign last season with the £500,000 he picked up in claiming the 2021 World Championship set to come off his total this season.
He earned 2,000 points at the Championship League for a provisional total of £96,000.
The 20-time ranking event winner missed the Players Championship in February after dropping outside the top 16 on the one-year list.
Provisional World Snooker Rankings
- 1. Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) £777,500
- 2. Neil Robertson (Aus) £441,000
- 3. Judd Trump (Eng) £438,000
- 4. Zhao Xintong (Chn) £373,500
- 5. John Higgins (Sco) £307,500
- 6. Mark Williams (Wal) £294,500
- 7. Luca Brecel (Bel) £281,500
- 8. Mark Allen (NIr) £215,000
- 9. Yan Bingtao (Chn) £178,500
- 10. Kyren Wilson (Eng) £163,000
- 11. Hossein Vafaei (Ira) £159,000
- 12. Ricky Walden (Eng) £145,500
- 13. David Gilbert (Eng) £140,500
- 14. Jimmy Robertson (Eng) £132,500
- 15. Jack Lisowski (Eng) £125,000
- 16. Barry Hawkins (Eng) £122,500
- 17. Stuart Bingham (Eng) £122,500
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