2022 World Snooker Championship: Everything you need to know about the BBC-televised event
- Seb Sternik
- 15 April 2022
The world’s best 32 players will descend on the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield for the biggest cue sport extravaganza of the year - the 2022 World Snooker Championship.
The showpiece event in the snooker calendar kicks off this weekend with the world's best players set to compete for the £500,000 prize.
Where is the tournament held?
When is it on?
The event is scheduled to start on Saturday, April 16. First round games will last until April 21 while the second round will run until April 25.
What's the format?
First round matches will be a race to 10 frames, while second round and quarter-final games will be played in a best-of-25-frames format.
The semi-final will be a race to 17 frames, while the final will be contested in a best-of-35-frames format - the same as it has been since 1980.
Who is the defending champion?
The 38-year-old beat Shaun Murphy 18-15 to claim the 2021 title and will begin the defence of his title against Welshman Jamie Jones.
Who are the main contenders?
Judd Trump also arrives with form under his belt, having won the recent Turkish Masters and reached the final of the Welsh Open. Trump also won the Champion of Champions tournament earlier this season and reached the semi-finals of the Masters.
Another man who you can never count out is six-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan. The 46-year-old won the World Grand Prix earlier this season and also reached the final of the European Masters.
The Rocket also has three semi-final appearances under his belt, including one from the recent Tour Championship event.
While the 46-year-old did lose all five of them, the fact he is repeatedly getting to that stage shows he cannot be underestimated.
How much prize money is on offer?
The full prize fund for the 2022 event is a massive £2,395million. Here's a breakdown of the funds ahead of the tournament:
