Snooker Championship League preview: Can Ronnie O’Sullivan claim first title?

The non-ranking tournament returns next week

Snooker is finally back on Monday as the Championship League returns.

The event is being held at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes for the first time and it will be played behind closed doors.

However, snooker fans will be able to enjoy the 11-day tournament live on ITV4.

Extra measures have been taken to ensure the safety of all players and officials, including regular coronavirus testing, social distancing between players and no handshakes.

And ahead of the competition, we’ve outlined everything you need to know.

How does the tournament work?

All 128 World Snooker Tour card holders were invited to participate in the competition and places were given to the highest-ranking 64 players to accept.

Those players, who include Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson, have been split into 16 groups of four, with every player facing off against each of their group opponents over the best of four frames.

Players are awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw and each group winner will progress into the next phase, where they will again be split into groups of four.

The winner of each of these groups will then face off in the final stage to decide the ultimate winner on Thursday 11th June.

The total prize pot exceeds £200,000, with players earning more for each frame they win. The overall winner will earn an extra £30,000 and a place in November’s Champion of Champions.

Who are the favourites?