Preview of Sunday's 2025 Scottish Open snooker final between Chris Wakelin and Chang Bingyu

The showpiece encounter pitches together the world ranked numbers 17 (Wakelin) and 70 (Chang). Sunday’s final in the capital city is played across afternoon and evening sessions, with the first player to nine frames lifting The Stephen Hendry Trophy, collecting £100,000, and winning the biggest accolade of their career to date.

Englishman Wakelin is set to appear in his fourth ranking event final and is aiming for his second crown following success at the Snooker Shoot Out in January 2023.

The 33-year-old travelled to Scotland after a disappointing few months on the professional circuit having won only three matches since his run to the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Masters in August. He lost his opening tie at the UK Championship qualifiers last month and just missed the cut to qualify for January's Masters invitational at the Alexandra Palace.

However, this week has signalled a return to the big time for Wakelin who eliminated Oliver Lines (4-2), Anthony McGill (4-0), Yuan Sijun (4-2), Zhou Yuelong (5-3), and then Matthew Selt (6-4) in the semi-finals. Against Selt, Wakelin knocked in two century breaks and several half-centuries.

Emerging from the other side of the draw is 23-year-old Chinese cueist Chang who has seen off a series of star names this week.

Chang initially turned professional in 2019 but - understandably for someone so young - he struggled for results upon his introduction to snooker's top flight.

In December 2022, Chang was suspended from the World Snooker Tour as one of a group of Chinese players who were part of the match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport during that season.

A few months later following the investigation, Chang was found guilty of manipulating the outcome of a match on the tour, but due to an early admission and guilty plea his three-year ban was reduced to two years.

That ban ended last December meaning Chang could return to the international amateur circuit and earn back his professional tour card. He did just that in April when he won the Asia-Pacific Snooker Championship in Australia.

And now, within just a few months of his professional return, Chang is into his maiden ranking event final. Before this week he'd never been to a ranking quarter-final, and before this season he'd never been beyond the last 32 of any ranking competition.

Chang's 2025 Scottish Open journey actually began in the qualifying rounds held in Wigan in October where he had to navigate two matches just to reach the main draw for the televised stages in Edinburgh.

At the Meadowbank, Chang started with a late night 4-2 victory over home hero Stephen Maguire before striking back-to-back tons to complete a 4-1 win over compatriot and top 16 star Si Jiahui in the last 16.

He then produced another century double in dispatching world number two Kyren Wilson 4-1 in the last 16, and registered runs of 72, 135, 91, 95 and 77 in ending newly-minted UK Champion Mark Selby's 12-match winning streak on the circuit with a 5-3 win.

In the last four, Chang began his tie against Mark Allen with efforts of 134 and 108 before going on to record a 6-1 success.

In total, Chang has won seven matches to reach the final, seeing off four members of the world's top 15 along the way. He is already guaranteed a career-best payday of £45,000, but he can over double that should he triumph on Sunday. His run this week has also earned him a place at the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

Chang can take inspiration from last year's Scottish Open winner, Lei Peifan - another young Chinese star - who was ranked even lower than he was en route to securing his first ranking title.

In a calendar year during which three Chinese players have lifted ranking trophies - including Zhao Xintong becoming the first Asian cueist to win the world professional championship - it would be another reference point of how times are changing at the top of the sport. Last month, 22-year-old Wu Yize joined the ranking list roll of honour at the International Championship.

In terms of their head-to-head record, Wakelin and Chang have only met once before on the pro tour, although under very different circumstances to what they'll experience on Sunday.

This contest took place in March 2021 in the last 64 of the Gibraltar Open - however, it was held in Milton Keynes behind-closed-doors due to the Covid-19 Pandemic - with Wakelin coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2.

Regardless of whoever comes out on top in their latest encounter, the streak of unique ranking event champions on this season's World Snooker Tour will continue. This is the 11th ranking tournament of the 2025/26 campaign, and either Wakelin or Chang will be the 11th different winner.

In fact, that unique sequence stretches back even further with the winner of last season's final three events being different, too.

To view the full draw, results, match schedule, and other information from the 2025 Scottish Open, visit here.