The random draw for the opening round of the 16-man event has been made and it pitched Whirlwind White against former World Champion Doherty.

Steve Davis, John Parrott, Dennis Taylor, Cliff Thorburn, Joe Johnson and – for the first time – Mark Williams will be among the other legends of the sport competing for the £18,000 top prize.

The Sky-televised tournament at the Blackpool Tower Circus Arena is on March 2nd and 3rd, 2015. The full first round draw and schedule is:

Monday March 2nd from 1pm:
Steve Davis v Qualifier 1*
John Parrott v Cliff Thorburn
Nigel Bond v Qualifier 2
Dennis Taylor v Darren Morgan
From 7pm
Mark Williams v Qualifier 3
Joe Johnson v Qualifier 4
Jimmy White v Ken Doherty
Peter Ebdon v Qualifier 5

The quarter-finals will be played from 1pm on Tuesday March 3rd, followed by the semis and final from 7pm.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW and fans MUST BOOK FAST to make sure of their seats as many sessions will sell out quickly. They start at just £10 (concessions £8) – for details call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras) or click here

VIP tickets are also available, priced at £60 for the Monday and £70 for the Tuesday or £110 for both days. They include entry to the VIP Lounge with the chance to mingle with the players.

The iconic Blackpool arena will also host the spectacular one-frame Shoot-Out, featuring 64 of the world’s best players, in the same week from March 4 to 6.

*The qualifying rounds will take place at Robin Park in Wigan on December 20th and 21st, with players aged 40 and over (by the end of the 2014/15 season) contesting the five spots at the final venue. Tony Knowles, Tony Drago and Alan McManus are among the crowd favourites in action, and entry is free for fans. For details click here