Last week’s ET2 event marked not only a return to the winners circle for Mark Williams, but also the first mid-season seedings revision of 2013/14. As it happens, Williams is one of the losers at this cut-off as he drops outside of the world’s top 16, while Neil Robertson replaces Mark Selby at the top of the rankings, following his strong start to the new campaign.
This list has now been used to determine the seedings for the upcoming Shanghai Masters tournaments, one of three events this season that will not be staged with a new, flatter draw structure.
Click below for a round-up of all of the changes to the seeding list and the usual handy links…
- Click here to view the final standings at the first mid-season seedings revision
- Click here to view the new latest projected seedings list, which will eventually determine the seedings for the 2013 International Championship
The Top 16
IN
- Marco Fu
- Robert Milkins
OUT
- Mark Williams
- Ali Carter
Following a consistent run of form, culminating in his second ranking event triumph at the recent Australian Goldfields Open, Marco Fu returns to the top 16 for the first time since 2011. With significantly fewer points to defend than any of the players 12 players ranked above him, it is fair to expect that barring a sudden loss of form, Marco will only continue to climb the list from here.
In fact, the only man in the immediate vicinity of Marco with fewer points to defend over the remainder of the current season is Robert Milkins, who having reached the semi-finals of both the Wuxi Classic and Australian Goldfields Open, now sits at a career-high ranking of 14th.
The first man to drop out of the top 16 is Welshman Mark Williams, notwithstanding his victory at the Rotterdam Open seven days ago. The reason for this is the fact that at this cut-off, Mark lost the 4,000 points that he earned two years ago for his run to the final of the Australian Goldfields Open, a greater amount than any other player with the exception of Stuart Bingham, who of course defeated him at that tournament.
Joining him is Ali Carter, who was absent from both the final two events prior to the cut-off and will also have to qualify for Shanghai.
17-32
IN
- Ben Woollaston
OUT
- Liang Wenbo
Moving up into the world’s top 32 for the first time is Leicester’s Ben Woollaston, on the back of his successful qualification for the venue stages of both the Wuxi Classic and Australian Goldfields Open tournaments.
He replaces China’s Liang Wenbo, who following a quiet start to the campaign, drops three places to 35th and as a consequence will now have to win three qualifying matches, instead of just one to reach the venue stages in Shanghai.
Due to the non-entry of Ronnie O’Sullivan and the suspension of Stephen Lee however, both Michael White and Fergal O’Brien will also be seeded inside the top 32 for the tournament.
33-64
IN
- Cao Yupeng
- Dechawat Poomjaeng
OUT
- Stephen Hendry
- Barry Pinches
With the top 48 no longer a bracket offering any practical benefit, attention turns to the top 64 which sees Cao Yupeng and Dechawat Poomjaeng break into one of the most important groups on the tour. Both have enjoyed strong form in recent months, Cao notably reaching the quarter-finals of the Wuxi Classic to reach his current career-high ranking of 60th.
Dropping out of the top 64 are the retired Stephen Hendry, as well as Norwich veteran Barry Pinches, who is now the lowest ranked player with points still to defend from the 2011/12 season.
The good news for Barry however is that along with Tian Pengfei, he will be still be seeded amongst the top 64 for the Shanghai Masters, due to the absence of both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Lee.