Snooker World Cup 2017: Teams, players, draw, schedule, results & odds

Snooker's World Cup returned to the calendar for the first time since 2015 as the China B team of Zhou Yuelong and Yan Bingtao attempted to defend their title.

This year's renewal took place in Wuxi from July 3-9, with There were 24 nations in all bidding for glory in Wuxi from July 3-9 and in the end it came down to China A's Liang Wenbo and Ding Junhui against England's Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins.

Here, you can look back at how the tournament unfolded with all the results, group standings, team bios and a full event format.

Contents
1. Group tables & group stage format
2. Schedule, results & knockout format
3. World Cup odds
4. Prize fund
5. Teams & player bios

World Cup groups tables

FW = frames won, FL = frames lost

Group A 

(Q) Wales: P 5 FW 19 FL 6 F Diff +13 Pts 19
(Q) China B: P 5 FW 15 FL 10 F Diff +5 Pts 15
Brazil: P 5 FW 15 FL 10 F Diff +5 Pts 15
Malaysia: P 5 FW 10 FL 15 F Diff -5 Pts 10
Finland: P 5 FW 9 FL 18 F Diff -7 Pts 9
Norway: P 5 FW 8 FL 17 F Diff -9 Pts 8

Group B

(Q) Belgium: P 5 FW 17 FL 8 F Diff +9 Pts 17
(Q) China A: P 5 FW 17 FL 8 F Diff +9 Pts 17
Hong Kong: P 5 FW 15 FL 10 F Diff +5 Pts 15
Rep of Ireland: P 5 FW 10 FL 15 F Diff -5 Pts 10
Germany: P 5 FW 10 FL 15 F Diff -5 Pts 10
Egypt: P 5 FW 6 FL 19 F Diff -13 Pts 6

Group C

(Q) England: P 5 FW 22 FL 3 F Diff +19 Pts 22
(Q) Iran: P 5 FW 16 FL 9 F Diff +7 Pts 16
Australia: P 5 FW 12 FL 13 F Diff -1 Pts 12
Switzerland: P 5 FW 9 FL 16 F Diff -7 Pts 9
Malta: P 5 FW 8 FL 17 F Diff -9 Pts 8
Pakistan: P 5 FW 8 FL 17 F Diff -9 Pts 8

Group D

(Q) Thailand: P 5 FW 18 FL 7 F Diff +11 Pts 18
(Q) N Ireland: P 5 FW 16 FL 9 F Diff +7 Pts 16
Scotland: P 5 FW 14 FL 11 F Diff +3 Pts 14
Israel: P 5 FW 13 FL 12 F Diff +1 Pts 13
India: P 5 FW 10 FL 15 F Diff -5 Pts 10
Cyprus: P 5 FW 4 FL 21 F Diff -17 Pts 4

GROUP FORMAT

The top two in each group will go through to the quarter-finals.  

One point will be awarded for every frame won. 

If two teams are tied on the same number of points then the winner of the match between those two teams will be ranked higher in the group. 

If two or more teams are tied – a blue ball shoot out will be held for those teams tied but only to determine positions 1 and 2 in group. If two or more teams are tied for positions 3-5 then the prize money is shared equally between teams. Players are not permitted to play consecutive frames in singles matches. 

Each match will consist of five frames and ALL frames must be played. Each player to play one frame against each player in the other team plus one doubles frame. 

World Cup: Daily Schedule & Results

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All matches best of five frames - but all five frames are played

Monday July 3
Morning session (0330 BST)
Group D
Scotland 2-3 Thailand
Northern Ireland 4-1 Cyprus
India 2-3 Israel

Group A
China B 4-1 Finland
Wales 5-0 Norway
Malaysia 0-5 Brazil 

Evening session (1230 BST)
Group B
China A 5-0 Republic of Ireland
Hong Kong 4-1 Germany
Belgium 4-1 Egypt

Group C
England 5-0 Switzerland
Australia 2-3 Malta
Pakistan 2-3 Iran

Tuesday July 4 (All best of five frames)
Morning session (0600 BST)

Group D
Scotland 3-2 Cyprus
Northern Ireland 3-2 India
Thailand 3-2 Israel

Group C
England 4-1 Malta
Australia 4-1 Pakistan
Switzerland 2-3 Iran 

Evening session (1230 BST)

Group B
China A 3-2 Germany
Hong Kong 1-4 Belgium
Republic of Ireland 3-2 Egypt

Group A
China B 3-2 Norway
Wales 3-2 Malaysia
Finland 2-3 Brazil

Wednesday July 5 (All best of five frames)
Morning session (0600 BST)

Group A
China B 4-1 Brazil
Wales 5-0 Finland
Norway 2-3 Malaysia

Group D
Scotland 4-1 Israel
Cyprus 1-3 India
Northern Ireland 3-2 Thailand 

Evening session (1230 BST)

Group C
England 4-1 Iran
Australia 4-1 Switzerland
Malta 3-2 Pakistan

Group B
China A 4-1 Egypt
Hong Kong 4-1 Republic of Ireland
Germany 1-4 Belgium

Thursday July 6 (All best of five frames)
Morning session (0600 BST)

Group C
England 5-0 Pakistan
Australia 1-4 Iran
Malta 1-4 Switzerland

Group B
China A 2-3 Belgium
Germany 2-3 Republic of Ireland
Hong Kong 4-1 Egypt

Evening session (1230 BST)

Group D
Scotland 2-3 Northern Ireland
Thailand 5-0 India
Cyprus 0-5 Israel

Group A
China B 1-4 Wales
Norway 2-3 Brazil
Finland 2-3 Malaysia

Friday July 7 (All best of five frames)
Morning session (0600 BST)

Group D
Scotland 3-2 India
Northern Ireland 3-2 Israel
Cyprus 0-5 Thailand

Group A
China B 3-2 Malaysia
Wales 2-3 Brazil
Norway 2-3 Finland

Evening session (1230 BST)

Group B
China A 3-2 Hong Kong
Germany 4-1 Egypt
Republic of Ireland 3-2 Belgium

Group C
England 4-1 Australia
Malta 0-5 Iran
Switzerland 2-3 Pakistan

Saturday July 8
QUARTER-FINALS (All best of seven frames)
Morning session (0600 BST)
England 4-3 Northern Ireland
Iran 1-4 Thailand

Evening session (1230 BST)
Wales 1-4 China A
Belgium 2-3 China B
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Sunday July 9 (All best of seven frames)
Morning session (0600 BST)
SEMI-FINALS
China A 4-2 Thailand
England 3-4 China B

Evening session (1230 BST)
FINAL
China A 4-3 England
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KNOCKOUT FORMAT

All matches will be best of 7 frames with a singles frame to determine winner if match is tied at 3 frames each. 

The opening six frames consists of two singles frames, a doubles frame, the reverse singles frames and another doubles frame.

World Cup Odds

Click here to for all of Sky Bet's latest odds and to place your snooker bets

World Cup Prize Fund (per player)

Winner: $200,000
Runner up: $100,000
Semi-finals: $60,000
Quarter-finals: $40,000
3rd in group: $22,500
4th in group: $15,000
5th in group: $10,000
6th in group: $7,500
Total: $800,000 

World Cup team profiles

England

Judd Trump
Age: 27
World ranking: 3
Career highlights: Seven ranking titles including the UK Championship (2011)

Barry Hawkins
Age: 38
World ranking: 5
Career highlights: Three ranking titles and World Championship runner-up (2013)

Scotland

John Higgins
Age: 42
World ranking: 2
Career highlights: 28 ranking titles including four World Championships (1998, 2007, 2009, 2011), three UK Championships (1998, 2000, 2010) and two Masters crowns (1999, 2006)

Anthony McGill
Age: 26
World ranking: 17
Career highlights: Two ranking titles, both won last season

Wales

Mark Williams
Age: 42
World ranking: 15
Career highlights: 18 ranking titles, two-time world champion (2000, 2003), two-time UK Championship winner (1999, 2002) and two Masters titles (1998, 2003)

Ryan Day
Age: 37
World ranking: 18
Career highlights: Four ranking event finals but no titles

Republic of Ireland

Fergal O’Brien
Age: 45
World ranking: 45
Career highlights: One ranking title (1999 British Open)

Ken Doherty
Age: 47
World ranking: unranked
Career highlights: Six ranking titles including 1997 World Championship

Northern Ireland

Mark Allen
Age: 31
World ranking: 10
Career highlights: Three ranking titles and UK Championship runner-up in 2011 

Joe Swail
Age: 47
World ranking: unranked
Career highlights: Ranking event runner-up at the 2009 Welsh Open

Australia

Neil Robertson
Age: 35
World ranking: 7
Career highlights: 12 ranking titles including the Triple Crown of the UK Championship (2013 & 2015), World Championship (2010) and the Masters (2012). 

Kurt Dunham
Age: 25
World ranking: 123

China A

Ding Junhui
Age: 30
World ranking: 4
Career highlights: 12 world ranking titles including UK Championship (2005 and 2009) and the Masters (2011)

Liang Wenbo
Age: 30
World ranking: 11
Career highlights: English Open champion (2016)

China B

Zhou Yuelong
Age: 19
World ranking: 32
Career highlights: 2015 World Cup winner

Yan Bingtao
Age: 17
World ranking: 56
Career highlights: 2015 World Cup winner

Hong Kong

Marco Fu
Age: 39
World ranking: 6
Career highlights: Three-time ranking event winner

Au Chi Wai
Age: 47
World ranking: Unranked

Thailand

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Age: 32
World ranking: 42
Career highlights: Winner of the 2015 Six Red World Championship

Noppon Saengkham
Age: 24
World ranking: 64
Career highlights: Qualified for the Crucible last season

Belgium

Luca Brecel
Age: 22
World ranking: 27
Career highlights: Ranking event runner up at the 2016 German Masters

Jeff Jacobs
Age: 21
World ranking: unranked

Norway

Kurt Maflin
Age: 33
World ranking: 52
Career highlights: Semi-finalist of two ranking events.

Christopher Watts
Age: 33
World ranking: unranked

India

Aditya Mehta
Age: 31
World ranking: 99
Career highlights: Ranking event runner-up at the 2013 Indian Open

Brijesh Damani
Age: 34
World ranking: Unranked

Brazil

Igor Figueiredo
Age: 39
World ranking: 111

Itaro Santos
Age: 31
World ranking: 127

Malta

Alex Borg
Age: 48
World ranking: 108

Duncan Bezzina
Age: 36
World ranking: Unranked

Iran

Hossein Vafaei
Age: 22
World ranking: 59

Soheil Vahedi
Age: 28
World ranking: unranked

Malaysia

Thor Chuan Leong
Age: 29
World ranking: 109

Moh Keen Ho
Age: 30
World ranking: Unranked

Germany

Lukas Kleckers
Age: 21
World ranking: Unranked

Simon Lichtenberg
Age: 19
World ranking: Unranked

Pakistan

Hamza Akbar
Age: 23
World ranking: 112

Shahram Changezi
Age: 34
World ranking: Unranked

Cyprus

Michael Georgiou
Age: 29
World ranking: 90

Antonis Poullos
Age: 33
World ranking: Unranked

Switzerland

Alexander Ursenbacher
Age: 21
World ranking: Unranked

Darren Paris
Age: 46
World ranking: Unranked

Egypt

Hatem Yassen
Age: 30
World ranking: Unranked

Basem Eltahhan
Age: 34
World ranking: Unranked

Israel

Eden Sharav
Age: 25
World ranking: 83

Shachar Ruberg
Age: 22
World ranking: Unranked

Finland

Robin Hull
Age: 42
World ranking: 69
Career highlights: Shoot Out champion in 2016

Heikki Niva
Age: 24
World ranking: Unranked