Snooker legends stand in teenage duo’s way at Barnsley

Two Yorkshire 19-year-olds will have home advantage when they come up against a couple of snooker legends this week in the China Open qualifiers.

For Oliver Lines, from Leeds, and Rotherham’s Ashley Carty are competing for the chance to jet out to China at the Barnsley Metronome on Saturday.

Lines will test himself against four-times world champion John Higgins and Carty meets snooker legend Jimmy White.

The two games are part of fours days of snooker in Barnsley which incorporate the qualifying rounds for the India Open and China Open.

The world’s top players, like world champion Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan, will be in action and fans can watch for free.

The Indian Open qualifiers are on Thursday and Friday, while the China Open qualifiers are on Saturday and Sunday.

Entrance is free and fans can turn up on the day, with session times each day 10am, 2.30pm and 7pm, with all matches best of nine frames.

Five-times world champion O’Sullivan is in action on Saturday afternoon, when he plays Luca Brecel, while another former world champion Neil Robertson plays Lyu Haotian on Saturday morning.

Sheffield-based Ding Junhui, defending champion of both events, plays Barry Pinches (Thursday, 2.30pm), and Ross Muir (Sunday, 2.30pm).

“Once again we are delighted to bring top class snooker to the Barnsley Metrodome and to give fans the chance to see their heroes for free,” said a World Snooker spokesman.

“This is really a fantastic opportunity for anyone who enjoys live sport, to see the very best players on the planet competing in major tournaments.”

European Under-21 champion Lines is not the only player from Leeds competing in South Yorkshire.

Sanderson Lam faces former world champion Ken Doherty, David Grace plays Mark King and Oliver’s father Peter Lines tackles Lyu Chenwei in the Indian Open qualifiers on Thursday. Twenty four hours later, Oliver Lines plays Li Hang.

On Thursday, Carty comes up against Joe Perry, Keighley’s Chris Melling plays Tom Ford, while Sheffield’s Adam Duffy meets Jack Lisowski.

On Friday, Sheffield’s Joel Walker plays Alfie Burden, Dronfield’s Oliver Brown faces Ryan Day, while former world champion Peter Ebdon is Pickering potter Paul Davison’s opponent.

Then in the China Open qualifiers, on Saturday Doncaster’s Ian Glover, 36, plays Dominic Dale, Carty plays White, Oliver Lines tackles Higgins, and Walker plays Liang Wenbo.

On Sunday, Grace is up against Ricky Walden, Duffy plays David Gilbert, Brown faces Joe Perry, while there is an all-Yorkshire showdown between Peter Lines and Melling.