Championship League Snooker 2021-22 | Group Four Preview and Order of Play
Trump takes on Brecel in Llandudno (George Wood/PA Archive/PA Images)
Judd Trump headlines the action as Group Four of the 2021-22 Championship League commences in Leicester on Wednesday.
Three-time winner Trump is one of four former champions on display at the Morningside Arena, along with Kyren Wilson, Stuart Bingham and Scott Donaldson.
The Ace is the most successful player in the history of the invitational event, having lifted the trophy in 2009, 2014 and 2016.
He is aiming to join Liang Wenbo, Graeme Dott and Zhao Xintong in the Winners’ Group at the start of February.
Two-time champion Wilson also enters the fray on Wednesday, aiming to build momentum ahead of next week’s Masters, while 2020 winner Donaldson begins his campaign.
The remaining four players return from Group Three. World champion Selby and 2015 winner Bingham – both semi-finalists on Tuesday – are looking to go the extra couple of steps.
Xiao Guodong is also looking to go one better, having narrowly missed out in an entertaining final against compatriot Zhao.
Meanwhile, Lu Ning, who finished fifth in Group Three, is set to appear in his third successive group. The two-time ranking event semi-finalist was runner-up to Dott in Group Two just before Christmas.
Play gets underway at 11am GMT on Wednesday with every player facing each other once over the best of five frames at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Players will be awarded one point for each match won, then most frames won and the least frames lost in the league series will determine their position in the league table.
Thereon, the top four players will contest the play offs on Thursday – semi-finals and final – over the same distance, with the victor taking their place in the Winners’ Group.
Championship League Snooker 2021-22 Group Four Schedule
Wednesday, January 5
From 11am
Judd Trump v Scott Donaldson
Kyren Wilson v Lu Ning
Judd Trump v Stuart Bingham
Mark Selby v Xiao Guodong
Kyren Wilson v Scott Donaldson
Stuart Bingham v Xiao Guodong
From 4.30pm
Judd Trump v Kyren Wilson
Mark Selby v Lu Ning
Kyren Wilson v Stuart Bingham
Lu Ning v Scott Donaldson
Mark Selby v Stuart Bingham
Judd Trump v Xiao Guodong
Thursday, January 6
From 11am
Xiao Guodong v Lu Ning
Mark Selby v Scott Donaldson
Stuart Bingham v Lu Ning
Mark Selby v Kyren Wilson
Mark Selby v Judd Trump
Kyren Wilson v Xiao Guodong
From 4.30pm
Xiao Guodong v Scott Donaldson
Judd Trump v Lu Ning
Play-Offs (TBC)