December 17th 2024.
In exciting news for snooker fans, the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship is set to begin on Wednesday with a bigger prize attached to the golden ball. This tournament, formerly known as the World Masters of Snooker, was first held in March this year and saw Ronnie O'Sullivan take home the trophy. The Rocket triumphed over Luca Brecel in the final, after defeating top players John Higgins and Judd Trump in earlier rounds.
One of the unique aspects of this tournament is the addition of the gold ball, which is worth a whopping 20 points and can only be potted after a 147 break has been made. This means that a maximum break of 167 is possible for players. Last year, John Higgins came close to achieving this feat but ultimately fell short under the mounting pressure. However, the stakes are even higher this time around as the prize for a 167 break has been increased from $500,000 to a whopping $1 million.
The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship is a non-ranking tournament and will feature two Saudi wildcards alongside the top 10 players in the world rankings. This quickfire three-day event will take place at Boulevard City in Riyadh, promising an intense and thrilling competition.
In the previous tournament, O'Sullivan took home the top prize of £250,000 after defeating Brecel in a nail-biting final. The draw and schedule for this year's championship have been announced, with some exciting matches lined up. On Wednesday, Ding Junhui will face off against Abdulraouf Saigh, while Shaun Murphy will take on the winner of that match. Luca Brecel will play against either Zhang Anda or Ahmed Aseeri.
Thursday will see Mark Selby take on Mark Allen, while Kyren Wilson will face the winner of the Brecel/Zhang/Aseeri match. Judd Trump, who is arriving in Riyadh in top form after winning the UK Championship, will go head to head with Mark Williams. And in the highly anticipated match, Ronnie O'Sullivan will take on the winner of the Murphy/Ding/Saigh match.
But what exactly is the deal with the golden ball? Well, in each frame, the gold ball will be placed in the center of the baulk cushion, in line with the brown spot from the start. It can only be legally potted after a 147 break has been made and is worth 20 points, making a break of 167 possible. The first player to achieve this feat will be awarded the grand prize of $1 million. And as soon as a 147 is no longer possible in a frame, the gold ball will be removed by the referee.
For those looking to catch the action, the event will be broadcast for free on DAZN. And for the players, the prize money for the tournament is quite impressive, with the winner taking home £250,000, the runner-up receiving £125,000, and the semi-finalists earning £75,000 each. The quarter-finalists will receive £50,000, while those who make it to the second round will receive £25,000. Even those eliminated in the first round will still receive a respectable amount of £5,000.
So mark your calendars and get ready for an intense and thrilling tournament as the world's best snooker players compete for the coveted title and a chance at the $1 million prize.
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