Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump set to play snooker on Christmas Day at Macau Snooker Masters

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump will make up an eight-player invitational tournament when the Macau Snooker Masters begins in the resort city on Christmas Day.

The former world champions flew to Asia to promote the event alongside Jack Lisowski, Marco Fu and recent Crucible semi-finalist Si Jiahui on June 28.

Ding Junhui, Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams have also been invited to appear with the winner receiving £150,000, according to local media reports.

The five-day event is due to begin on December 25 at the five-star Wynn Palace hotel in Cotai, Macua, three days after the German Masters qualifiers are due to finish on December 22 in Sheffield.

Williams reached the final of the 2018 Macau Masters which was won 3-2 by Barry Hawkins, but the competition on the south coast of China is not part of the official World Snooker Tour calendar.

O’Sullivan had revealed plans to focus on Asia after his 13-10 loss to Luca Brecel in the World Championship quarter-finals in April.

“If I don’t do well in the Asian ones than I’ll get home early and then I don’t mind hopping on a plane and going to Scotland or Belfast but, if I do well, I want to have a week at home, chill out with the dogs and then get back on a plane and go back to India or wherever.”

The 2023/24 snooker season started this week with the Championship League in Leicester.