Ronnie O'Sullivan to headline Hong Kong Masters in a Covid-19 bubble as organisers take cautious approach
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Updated 26/08/2022 at 15:09 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to compete inside a Covid-19 bubble when he headlines the Hong Kong Masters in October. The event returns after a five-year hiatus, caused in part by the pandemic. At a capacity of 10,000, the Hong Kong Coliseum venue could see snooker's largest-ever crowd take in the tournament, which will also feature the likes of Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Mark Selby.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to headline the upcoming Hong Kong Masters, but will do so inside a secure Covid-19 bubble.
While coronavirus restrictions have been lifted in many parts of the world, visitors to Hong Kong still have to go through three days of hotel quarantine at the current time, and the players that come from abroad for this tournament will be moved into a 'closed loop' for the duration of their participation, which will entail them being kept within their hotel and the venue.
Vincent Law, of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council, admitted that the move hadn't gone too well with those involved.
"They [the players] don't understand why Hong Kong, an international city, is still lagging behind in anti-epidemic policies," he said.
Nonetheless and despite an uptick in Covid infections in the city, hopes are high that the event may witness the largest-ever crowd to witness a snooker competition, with the action being held at the 10,000 seater Hong Kong Coliseum.
Alongside O'Sullivan at the eight-player tournament - which is due to run between October 6-9 - will be John Higgins, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Zhao Xintong, Neil Robertson and Hong Kong natives Marco Fu and Ng On-yee, the three-time women's world champion.
It's the first time the event will be held since 2017, when Robertson beat O'Sullivan in the final.
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