World top 16 players will compete in next week's China Open 2000 at Mission Hills, Shenzhen, it was announced by the World Sport Group (WSA), one of the tournament organizers Tuesday, December 5.

Among the world top 16, which include the defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, world champion and world No. 1 Mark Williams, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, no player will be looking forward to the tournament more than Marco Fu of Hong Kong, China.

Fu, ranked 14th in the latest world ranking, is snooker's latest star of the ease and has taken over from Thailand's James Wattana as the standard-bearer in Asia.

"It's great to be competing on home soil, " said Fu.

This is the third time that that WSA has staged a world-ranking event in China.

The world top 16 will be joined by 16 qualifiers, which include two Chinese wild cards -- Pang Weiguo and Cai Jianzhong. It will be playing for a total prize of US$450,000 with the winner pocketing US$75,000.

(People's Daily 12/05/2000)