Hong Kong Masters snooker and Hollywood: How Nicole Kidman controversy affects Ronnie O'Sullivan return to Asia
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 05/10/2022 at 13:52 GMT
Organisers of the Hong Kong Masters have moved quickly to reject accusations that snooker's leading players will be granted favourable treatment from strict Covid isolation rules when they visit the city for the elite invitational event. Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman was embroiled in controversy when the government granted her permission to avoid quarantine last year prompting local outrage.
‘How did he get the cue ball there?’ - World Championship top shots featuring Trump and O’Sullivan
World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will be able to practise at the tournament venue before the Hong Kong Masters begins after being granted an official exemption from local Covid-19 rules.
The Hong Kong Coliseum is staging the popular event, the first time the elite invitational competition has been held since Neil Robertson defeated O'Sullivan 6-3 in the 2017 final at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
Tournament organisers have gained approval for the eight players competing for the £100,000 first prize to travel between their hotel and the Coliseum during the four-day event with several arriving less than 72 hours before the action breaks off.
Hong Kong's official Covid rules state that visitors must adhere to three days of quarantine with restrictions on movements.
Breaching these laws is a criminal offence, but overseas arrivals – including the world's top six players O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, John Higgins and Zhao Xintong – have been granted an exemption to allow them to prepare for the tournament which runs between Thursday and Sunday live on Eurosport.
Australian actress Nicole Kidman prompted outrage among locals last year when the Oscar winner was given a government pass to avoid the three-day quarantine.
But officials of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council (HKBSCC) insist this is not a repeat of the Kidman incident.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/08/22/3437164-70128448-2560-1440.png)
'I've been scientific' – O’Sullivan says other players ‘practise out of guilt’
“The case of Nicole Kidman was completely different,” said Vincent Law Wing-chung, HKBSCC chairman. “She was exempted from quarantine.
"Our players still have to observe 0+3. They cannot dine in restaurants. The only exemption they have is to enter the Coliseum during the first three days.
“Of course, we have reminded the players to observe all applicable rules, and we are confident they will understand and comply, given all the support we will give them.
“We have set up practice facilities at the Coliseum and have got permission to let players practise.”
The players, referees and family members must also undergo rigorous Covid-19 tests during their short stay in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Masters is the first major sporting event in the city since the global pandemic struck in 2020.
It was a regular feature of the calendar between 1983 and 1988 with Steve Davis and Jimmy White emerging triumphant before briefly returning under the guise of the Hong Kong Challenge in 1990 and 1991 with James Wattana and Stephen Hendry lifting the trophy.
Hong Kong Masters 2022 schedule (All times BST)
- Thursday, October 6 - Quarter finals: Mark Selby v Marco Fu – 06:30; Neil Robertson v Zhao Xintong – 12 noon
- Friday, October 7 - Quarter-finals: Judd Trump v John Higgins – 06:30; Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ng On Yee – 12 noon
- Saturday, October 8 - Semi-finals: Selby/Fu v Trump/Higgins – 06:30am; Robertson/Zhao v O'Sullivan/Ng – 12 noon
- Sunday, October 9 – Exhibition match – 06.00; Final – 12 noon
- - -
Stream top snooker live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement