The 2018 United States National Snooker Championship has just got underway with Raymond Fung defending his title this year at the Prince Snooker Club in Brooklyn, New York.

All the players were drawn into four Groups, with local player Fung, who sensationally achieved his snooker dream by claiming the title last year at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan, placed in Group A as the number one seed.

Three-times champion and runner-up in the past three years, Ahmed Aly Elsayed, flew back across the Atlantic where he had been competing in World Snooker's Q School in England to take his place as the number two seed in Group B.

Californian Ajeya Prabharkar, who won this title back in 2000 and 2014, will feature in Group C as the number three seed, and New York's Laszlo Kovacs, who has been a quarterfinalist in the past two Championships, was awarded the number four seed in Group D.

The Championship got underway at 11am local time (8am Pacific Time) and by the end of tomorrow's play, the top-four placed players in each Group will advance into the round of 16, of which the first four ties will commence 11am local time Sunday.

Alan Morris, the Executive Director of the United States Snooker Association (USSA), said: "It's wonderful for the Championship to be back at the Prince Snooker Club for the fourth time to host this prestigious event. The proprietor, Tommy Chen, and his wife Anita are always such wonderful and enthusiastic hosts.

"I would also like to offer my sincerest thanks to Charles Brown who stepped into the role of Tournament Director."

Morris concluded: "I would like to wish all the players a fantastic Championship, win or lose, as you make new friends and rekindle old friendships from previous Championships."

The winner of the Championship on Memorial Day Monday evening will be crowned the 2018 United States National Snooker Champion, and alongside the runner-up will gain automatic selection to represent the United States in the following year's international snooker competition.