Hundreds of snooker fans gathered outside the Student Gym in Beijing today for the opening ceremony of the Honghe Industrial 2007 World Snooker China Open.

Snooker's star players literally were given the red carpet treatment after they arrived in a succession of cars provided by official automobile partner Beijing Benz-Daimler Chrysler.

World No 1 Stephen Hendry and co signed autographs and were escorted to the venue entrance where they signed a giant flag carrying the China Open logo.