The latest news on March 19, 2022, Beijing time, world famous Stephen Maguire and McGill officially announced their withdrawal from the Gibraltar Open, and their places will be replaced by Johar and Rod Lawler. It also means That Jowhar will face Jimmy White in the first round, while Rod Lawler will compete with Alan Hill for promotion rights. While Maguire and McGill's withdrawal was regrettable, it did not affect the fierce competition for the Gibraltar Open. The addition of Ding Junhui, O'Sullivan and Robertson has turned the former junk tournament into the most competitive. It also means that Trump's dream of winning a triple title is likely to be shattered by the addition of many top players.
McGill and Maguire's withdrawal was a surprise
McGill and Maguire's temporary retirements are a bit of a surprise, as Maguire is currently the sixteenth player in the world, despite his unsatisfactory performances this season. Although Yan Bingtao, who ranked after him, had no chance to compete with him, Wharton after Yan Bingtao had a good chance to compete with him for the throne of the world's top sixteen. If Wharton gets a good result at the Gibraltar Open, he has every chance of replacing Higgins as eighth in a single season. Once he can do that, then he can get into the Tour Championship, which means that Maguire's ability to get straight to Crucible depends on Walton's performance. Although McGill's withdrawal from the tournament did not affect him, it was regrettable that he chose to withdraw.
O'Sullivan and Robertson's entry was a pleasant surprise
Since the birth of the Gibraltar Open, O'Sullivan and Robertson have rarely participated in this tournament. It's not just them, but the worst time before that was when more than half of the world's top sixteen players chose to abandon the tournament. So the Gibraltar Open has been known as a junk event for a long time because it has a limited focus on it from top players. But this year is different, O'Sullivan, Robertson, Ding Junhui, Carter, Higgins and other players have participated in this game, which also makes the OriginalLy garbage Gibraltar Open instantly become a gold-rich event. The main reason for this is the attraction of the extra £150,000 prize in the European series, after all, 12 people have the opportunity to win an extra £150,000 this year. Of course, there is also news that O'Sullivan received a playing fee before the game, but in any case, this year's event is destined to be unusual.
Trump and Ding Junhui expect to break the bottleneck
For the Gibraltar Open, the most interesting thing to watch is whether Trump can complete the three consecutive championships of this event. But the participation of top players makes the ownership of the championship of this tournament full of suspense, and as far as the world's top sixteen players are concerned, the most outstanding players are still Robertson, followed by Trump. If Zhao Xintong can play in form, it is also possible for him to beat any player. The same is true for O'Sullivan, who excels at short-term play. In addition, Ding Junhui's strong return is likely to allow him to break his own bottleneck, so he is also a popular candidate for the championship competition. In addition to the above players, the addition of Higgins and a number of top players also makes the championship of this tournament full of suspense. Not to mention who wins the tournament, as far as the current situation is concerned, this is definitely the most competitive and difficult tournament in the history of the Gibraltar Open to determine the title of champion. Trump and Ding Junhui want to break through the bottleneck is not only the momentum, but if the state is slightly worse, their dreams may be destroyed at any time.