Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson set to begin final week of Championship League snooker as last 32 is revealed
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ByEurosport
Updated 15/07/2023 at 08:39 GMT
Tour debutant Liu Hongyu and world No. 70 John Astley completed the line-up for the final 32 of the Championship League at the Morningside Arena in Leicester by remaining unbeaten in winning their respective groups. Top-16 players Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy are the favourites to claim first prize when the season's first ranking event is settled on Friday.
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Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson will get the final week of the Championship League underway when the last-32 group stage begins on Monday.
Three-time world champion Williams faces Barry Pinches in his Group F opener at midday with two-time former winner Wilson meeting Sanderson Lam in Group E.
Shoot Out champion Chris Wakelin and former German Masters holder Anthony Hamilton will contest the other Group F fixtures with Martin O'Donnell and Robbie Williams in with Wilson and Lam in Group F.
Players and Tour champion Shaun Murphy meets James Cahill, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and 2021 winner David Gilbert in an intriguing Group D on Wednesday.
Tournament favourite Judd Trump returns to action on the penultimate day of the season's first ranking event on Thursday when he meets Matthew Stevens, Cao Yupeng and Joe Perry in Group B.
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The final two group winners from the opening phase were settled on Friday with tour debutant Liu Hongyu winning all of his three matches in Group 14 and John Astley remaining unbeaten as Group 9 winner.
World No. 70 Astley ended Scottish Open champion Gary Wilson's hopes with a 3-1 win after completing a 3-1 victory over former women's world champion Mink Nutcharut and drawing 2-2 with Ma Hailong earlier on Friday afternoon.
Astley joins World Championship qualifiers Robert Milkins, Si Jiahui and Pang Junxu in Group H on Tuesday.
Liu enjoyed emphatic progess with three straight wins over Ricky Walden (3-1), David Lilley (3-0) and Peng Yisong (3-1).
The eight winners of the groups in the last 32 will contest two further groups of four before the final between the final group winners will determine the champion on Friday evening.
The tournament carries total prize money of £328,000 with the winner earning a spot in the elite 16-player Champion of Champions event in Bolton in November.
Stage Two Groups
Monday 17 July
Group E
- Kyren Wilson (Eng)
- Anthony Hamilton (Eng)
- Chris Wakelin (Eng)
- Sanderson Lam (Eng)
Group F
- Mark Williams (Wal)
- Martin O'Donnell (Eng)
- Robbie Williams (Eng)
- Barry Pinches (Eng)
Tuesday 18 July
Group C
- Ashley Carty (Eng)
- Liu Hongyu (Chn)
- Daniel Wells (Wal)
- Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
Group H
- John Astley (Eng)
- Robert Milkins (Eng)
- Si Jiahui (Chn)
- Pang Junxu (Chn)
Wednesday 19 July
Group A
- Michael Holt (Eng)
- Xiao Guodong (Chn)
- Ben Woollaston (Eng)
- Zhou Yuelong (Chn)
Group D
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha)
- David Gilbert (Eng)
- James Cahill (Eng)
- Shaun Murphy (Eng)
Thursday 20 July
Group B
- Cao Yupeng (Chn)
- Joe Perry (Eng)
- Matthew Stevens (Wal)
- Judd Trump (Eng)
Group G
- MIchael White (Wal)
- Sam Craigie (Eng)
- Long Zehuang (Chn)
- Jak Jones (Wal)
Stage One Group Winners
- Group 3: Ashley Carty (Eng)
- Group 30: Daniel Wells (Wal)
- Group 11: Martin O'Donnell (Eng)
- Group 21: Chris Wakelin (Eng)
- Group 10: Michael White (Wal)
- Group 22: Robbie Williams (Eng)
- Group 5: Kyren Wilson (Eng)
- Group 29: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha)
- Group 6: Mark Williams (Wal)
- Group 27: Barry Pinches (Eng)
- Group 32: Xiao Guodong (Chn)
- Group 16: Ben Woollaston (Eng)
- Group 15: Matthew Stevens (Wal)
- Group 28: Anthony Hamilton (Eng)
- Group 17: Zhou Yuelong (Chn)
- Group 26: Jak Jones (Wal)
- Group 7: Long Zehuang (Chn)
- Group 24: Pang Junxu (Chn)
- Group 8: Robert Milkins (Eng)
- Group 23: Sam Craigie (Eng)
- Group 20: James Cahill (Eng)
- Group 25: Si Jiahui (Chn)
- Group 1: Michael Holt (Eng)
- Group 19: Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
- Group 2: Judd Trump (Eng)
- Group 18: Joe Perry (Eng)
- Group 4: Shaun Murphy (Eng)
- Group 12: Sanderson Lam (Eng)
- Group 13: David Gilbert (Eng)
- Group 31: Cao Yupeng (Chn)
- Group 9: John Astley (Eng)
- Group 14: Liu Hongyu (Chn)
Championship League Stage 1
- June 26-30
- July 3-8
- July 10-14
Championship League Stage 2
- July 17-20
Championship Stage 3
- July 21
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