China Open: The tournament that sparked a snooker revolution returns

Ding Junhui changed the landscape of snooker with his 2005 China Open win (Picture: Getty Images)

For the first time in seven years, one of the most consequential tournaments in snooker history is back as the main stages of the 2026 China Open begin on Saturday.

The pandemic took the iconic event off the calendar in 2020 and it has finally returned in a new home of Taiyuan.

The China Open played a huge part in what the professional circuit looks like now, specifically the 2005 edition.

There had been plenty of snooker played in China before then, in fact Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor rematched their epic World Championship final just four months after it happened at the China Masters in Guangzhou. Davis got a scrap of revenge, winning 2-1.

The ranking China International arrived ...