Snooker chiefs threaten legal action over revolt after five players snubbed the Northern Ireland Open in favour of a more lucrative event in China

The World Snooker Tour went to war on Tuesday night against five of its own players by threatening legal action if they took part in an unsanctioned event in Macau.

Four-time world champions Mark Selby and John Higgins, this year’s Crucible winner Luca Brecel, Ali Carter and Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh all snubbed the WST Northern Ireland Open to take part in the exhibition lucrative in China.

And the WST has now warned the stars they will be in breach of their contract if they continue to play in Macau and could be fined or banned.

They said: “Given that the exhibition event in Macau directly conflicts with the final stages of the Northern Ireland Open, a player’s participation in this event would constitute a breach of their contract of player.

“Accordingly, if these players decide to participate in the exhibition in Macau, the WST will have no choice but to refer them to the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee for breach of their player contract.”

World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan, who himself is playing in an exhibition in Shanghai this month, has backed the ‘Macau Five’ – calling the WST stance ‘bullshit, trying to scare players like that’ .

Lawyers representing the players say the WST’s threats are baseless because they did not enter the tournament – so they have not withdrawn from any WST events and are heading to Macau on their own time.

Experts say the Belfast tournament was ‘decimated’ due to the game’s biggest stars choosing to travel to Macau, known as the ‘Las Vegas of the East’. Qualifying for the Northern Ireland Open also clashes with another event in Shanghai featuring Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Williams and others.

The tensions lay bare the crisis at the heart of the sport, as tours battle against the huge sums of money offered to stars just to come and play in China.

Many involved are furious at what they see as heavy-handed tactics. Victoria Shi, co-organizer and owner of a Sheffield academy, was also threatened with prosecution.

Selby, who has suffered greatly from mental health problems in recent years, is said to have asked to no longer receive correspondence on the subject.

This comes alongside another highly paid unofficial event featuring O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Jack Lisowski and Ding Junhui, looming even earlier this month in Shanghai.

The Shanghai exhibition takes place during the Northern Ireland Open qualifying event. The top 16 players involved could still participate in the final stages given that their first rounds are postponed.

But the WST was also unhappy with big names taking part in this event – ​​believing it would leave qualifying in the shadows. They initially banned players from participating – before softening their stance.

And they have sent similar threatening letters to players insisting they keep all involvement in Shanghai, demanding a social media and news blackout – and participation in Belfast, for which only Williams is confirmed.

The player power situation presents a huge challenge for the governing body, with big-name stars openly flouting their authority – and lawyers no doubt licking their lips.

With the return of Chinese tournaments to the calendar this season after three years following the Covid pandemic, the WST was hoping for a smoother journey in 2023-24.

But after these years of declining income, new opportunities are opening up in the Far and Middle East. Players want to cash in – leading to the current row.

And the events of the week highlighted a gulf between the best players and the leaders of the game. There was even whispered talk of a boycott of the prestigious Masters in January.

O’Sullivan is among those who have sharply criticized aspects of the way the tour is run, the venues used in the UK and the treatment of players outside Asia.

He has even suggested in the past the possibility of a separatist tour – which now seems less fanciful than it was.

WST was accused earlier this year of trying to gag players and prevent them from speaking to the media about a major meeting discussing the future of the sport.

But this time around, it appears that similar attempts have backfired, with those involved having bluffed the WST on both Macau and Shanghai.

O’Sullivan, the sport’s biggest draw, has led calls for players to maximize their winnings.

Speaking about the Shanghai exhibition, he said: “There is absolutely no reason to try to stop me and other players from going to Shanghai for the Ireland qualifiers. North.”

“It’s a small event, we are not involved and we could still play the final stages with our matches postponed.

“Players are just trying to make money, it’s their choice. And they realize their value. They are trying to restrict us. Those involved in Shanghai received letters advising them not to play.

“I know that for the Macau tournament, the players also received even stronger threatening letters telling them that this was a breach of their contract.

“That with the opportunity to play in an official tournament, they would turn it down and choose to go elsewhere, and that was detrimental to the sport.

“It’s stupid to try to scare players like that. It’s wrong and I’m glad they’ve taken a tough stance.

“It’s about players being able to earn what they can and choosing how and when they play. They can participate in a tournament – ​​but it doesn’t have to be.

“They were trying to tell me what to say, until I found a very good lawyer who answered them. If they want to play silly games, we can all play silly games.