Tonight’s main attraction on The Malta Cup six-match opening programme has been a sell-out since last Thursday. This will see Tony Drago (photo) play his qualifying round match against Shokat Ali, another occasion which confirmed that "Li Stilla Ta’ Malta" is still acknowledged as Malta’s most favourite sportsman.

With a professional carrier stretching now over twenty years Tony is still respected and admired for what he did for the name of local sport on the international scene - 18 consecutive seasons in the top 32 of the elite of world snooker.

As a result of an agreement reached between Snooker Promotions and Multiplus, whereby all 15 matches to be played on the main table of the Tournament will be aired Live, Tony’s match to be played on the main table in the evening session can also be followed on television.

The match starts at 8pm.

Multiplus will be also transmitting Live the match between Simon Zammit vs Robin Hull one of the three matches making up the afternoon session which starts at 4pm.

The other four matches on today’s opening day programme are:

Afternoon session (starting at 4pm)

• Joe Grech vs Mark Allen and Alan McManus vs Allister Carter;

Evening session (starting at 8pm)

• John Higgins vs Robert Milkins and Paul Hunter vs Dominic Dale.

The 35 matches making up the Malta Cup are being controlled by six international snooker referees, two of whom are Maltese. The locals are Michael Attard Montalto and Terry Camilleri, who have both officiated at ranking tournaments in the past, with Camilleri in particular who have been very active on the snooker circuit this season.