SNOOKER’S biggest stars will be going head-to-head in Bolton next week as the Whites Hotel at the University of Bolton Stadium hosts the 2021 Cazoo Champion of Champions.

The tournament sees winners from the previous 12 months bid to pick up another major prize and will feature the likes of world champion Mark Selby, Judd Trump and three-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The draw has now been made with four-player groups at the start with one group played each day from Monday until Thursday.

The afternoon sessions feature two best-of-seven group semi-finals before a best-of-11 group final in the evening session.

The winners each day will them face off in evening semi-finals on Friday and Saturday before the showpiece finale on Sunday night when the eventual winner will walk away with £150,000.

Players were split into two seeding pools based on the World Snooker Tour world ranking after the Northern Ireland Open.

The top eight players were placed into groups based on their seeding; seed one Trump and seed eight Stephen Maguire are in Group 1.

World champion Selby will be in Group 2 with number seven seed Shaun Murphy, world number three O’Sullivan joins John Higgins in Group 3, while Neil Robertson and Kyren Wilson are in Group 4.

The remaining eight seeds were drawn at random to face one of the eight seeded players in the group semi-finals.

Now the Whites Hotel, which has already seen the return of top-class darts this year, is all set with all matches live on ITV4.

Emily Frazer, managing director of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing the Champion of Champions to Bolton Whites Hotel at the University of Bolton Stadium, and even more thrilled at the prospect of welcome fans back.

“Bolton Whites Hotel at the University of Bolton Stadium has proved a successful and popular host venue for our colleagues at the PDC (darts) and we are excited to be working with the team there to bring a major snooker event to the North West.”

n Tickets are available for most sessions and can be purchased online at https://championofchampionssnooker.co.uk/tickets/ or by calling 0844 581 0888.

Draw and match schedule

Monday - Group 1

1 pm - group semi-finals (best of seven): Judd Trump v David Lilley, Stephen Maguire v Ryan Day

7 pm - group final (best of 11)

Tuesday - Group 2

1 pm - group semi-finals (best of seven): Neil Robertson v Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson v Jordan Brown

7 pm - group final (best of 11)

Wednesday - Group 3

1 pm - group semi-finals (best of seven): Mark Selby v David Gilbert, Shaun Murphy v Yan Bingtao

7 pm - group final (best of 11)

Thursday - Group 4

1 pm - group semi-finals (best of seven): Ronnie O’Sullivan v Stuart Bingham, John Higgins v Ding Junhui

7 pm - group final (best of 11)

Friday

7pm - semi-final 1: Group 1 winner v Group 4 winner

Saturday

7pm - semi-final 2: Group 2 winner v Group 3 winner

Sunday

Final (best of 19)