August 21st 2024.
In the upcoming Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, renowned player Liam Davies will face off against former world champion Ken Doherty in the opening round. The draw for this highly anticipated tournament has been released, revealing that the players will be competing not only for prestige, but also for a top prize that rivals that of the World Championship.
A staggering 144 players will be making their way to Riyadh for the first ever Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, with a significant amount of money and ranking points up for grabs. The format of the tournament follows that of the World Championship and UK Championship, with lower-ranked players starting in the early rounds and top 16 players joining in the fifth round.
As with any high-stakes competition, the pressure is on for players to perform well and secure a win right from the start. This is because the prize money for each round is only awarded to winners, not losers, and does not count towards their rankings. The prize money for this tournament is particularly jaw-dropping, with the winner walking away with a whopping £500,000, followed by £200,000 for the runner-up and various amounts for the other quarter and semi-finalists.
Earlier this year, Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed the World Masters of Snooker title in Riyadh, adding to the excitement and anticipation for this upcoming event. Unlike the World and UK Championships, there will not be a further draw at the last 32 stage, meaning that the top 16 players will know who they could potentially face in their first matches.
The detailed draw for the tournament can be found here, but we do know for sure the matchups for round one, which will all take place on August 30th. Some notable matches include Allan Taylor vs Adeel Aqdus, Jimmy White vs Mohamed Shehab, and Liam Davies vs Ken Doherty.
The schedule for the tournament is as follows: Round one will feature seeds 81-112 against seeds 113-144, followed by round two where the 32 winners will face off against seeds 49-80. In round three, the remaining 32 winners will play against seeds 17-48, and in round four, these winners will compete against each other. Finally, in round five, the 16 victorious players will go up against seeds 1-16 in the last 32.
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters promises to be an exciting and highly competitive event, with top players from around the world vying for the prestigious title and impressive prize money. Fans and players alike are eagerly anticipating the start of the tournament and the thrilling matches that are sure to follow.
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