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Snooker tour facing mutiny as top stars pull out of tournament with WST threats ignored

Snooker bosses have been dealt an embarrassing snub by their own mutinous stars who are set to miss the World Snooker Tour's Northern Ireland Open later this month

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Former world champion Mark Selby is among those unhappy with the WST(Image: VCG via Getty Images)

The World Snooker Tour are facing a player mutiny with a world champion trio of Mark Selby, John Higgins and Luca Brecel handing an embarrassing snub to bosses.

Two four-time world champions in Selby and Higgins, plus reigning Crucible victor Brecel, who triumphed over Selby in Sheffield in May, are leading the mutiny. The trio, along with Ali Carter and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh - have snubbed the Northern Ireland Open later this month.

The five have opted not to play in Belfast, choosing instead to head for a lucrative exhibition event in Macau. That is despite threats of legal action from the World Snooker Tour, who oversee the sport's official competitions.

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World Snooker Tour chiefs first sent emails and then strongly-worded letters claiming if the players took part in Macau they would be breaching their contracts. They added that the players would be harming the game and would face disciplinary action.

However, lawyers representing the stars believe the treats are baseless. That is because they did not enter the Northern Ireland Open, and are instead doing what they want in their own time.

What do you make of the snooker situation? Let us know in the comments section below.

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World champion Mark Selby is also among the group (Image: Getty Images)

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As is John Higgins(Image: Getty Images)

Ronnie O'Sullivan, who recently played in Macau and will attend a Shanghai exhibition himself this month, has backed the so-called 'Macau five.' The world no.1 described the WST's stance as "b******s, trying to scare players like that."

He added: "There is absolutely no reason to try and stop me and other players going to Shanghai during the Northern Ireland qualifiers. That is a small event, we are not involved, and we could still play in the final stages with our matches being held over.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan has also had his say(Image: VCG via Getty Images)

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Many of the players involved are unhappy over what they perceive to be heavy-handed tactics. Selby, who has suffered with mental health issues in recent years, is understood to have asked he receive no further correspondence relating to the matter.

A WST spokesperson said: WST does not publicly discuss private conversations with the players, or share contractual information. It comes following Sunday night's English Open final, which took place between Judd Trump and Zhang Anda at the Brentwood Centre.

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