Shanghai Masters Qualifying Underway in Sheffield

Burden himself has just won back his tour card, after a bit of a hiatus from top level snooker.

Evans, who is no-doubt the world’s best female snooker player, has tried so hard to reach professional status in recent years, and now with a wildcard spot has to prove that she has the game to compete at the highest level.

She made her first professional outing at the recent PTC 2 in Sheffield but this is her first match in the big-time of World Snooker.

Another newbie to the professional ranks is Welshman Andrew Pagett, Pagett has always been a good player on the PIOS circuit and has even represented Wales at Pool in recent years. He will be hoping that he can cope with the step-up in competition. Pagett faces tough opposition in Matt Couch, a player that remained on the tour last year and had started to string together some results after working with a new coach.

In a bid (it seems) to give the sport of snooker a more International feel two more wildcards were awarded to Patrick Einsle of Germany and Igor Figuieredo of Brazil. They open up against Simon Bedford and Jamie Jones respectively.

Another player making his ranking debut must also be mentioned. Anthony McGill, the young Scot recently reached the quarter-final stages of the Player Tour Championship event two. A tournament where he defeated Jimmy Michie and Dave Harold 4-1 before demolishing Stephen Maguire 4-0. He will be one to look out for and opens his campaign up against Issara Kachaiwong of Thailand.

All of the first round matches will be completed today with the winners progressing through to tomorrow.

Stay tuned to Cuesportnews.com as we bring you the results and news from the first ranking event of 2010-11 season.

Shanghai Masters Qualifying Draw (Worldsnooker.com)