Introduction to the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters is set to begin on Friday, offering a substantial prize pool in Jeddah. This tournament not only boasts a top prize of £500,000 but also serves as a ranking event, making it a pivotal moment for players aiming to elevate their standings in the sport. The stakes are high, with careers and lives potentially transformed over the course of the competition.
Judd Trump made history by winning the inaugural edition of the event last year in Riyadh. His victory was nothing short of dramatic, as he defeated Mark Williams in a nail-biting final. At 9-9, Williams managed a break of 62 but missed a crucial red, allowing Trump to take control and secure the win with a break of 72 on the final black. This win not only earned Trump £500,000 but also left Williams with a hefty financial loss.
Kyren Wilson is entering the event in excellent form, having recently won the Shanghai Masters by defeating Ali Carter in the final. With such significant prizes at stake, the field in Jeddah is particularly strong, featuring top players like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Mark Allen, and world champion Zhao Xintong.
Tournament Schedule and Viewing Details
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will run from August 8 to August 16 at the Green Halls in Jeddah. The event’s unusual schedule spans from a Friday to a Saturday in Saudi Arabia. For viewers in the UK, the tournament will be broadcast on TNT Sports and Discovery+. Those outside the UK can find information on how to watch the event by following the provided link.
Prize Money Breakdown
The prize money for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters is highly competitive, with the following distribution:
- Winner: £500,000
- Runner-up: £200,000
- Semi-finalist: £100,000
- Quarter-finalist: £50,000
- Last 16: £30,000
- Last 32: £20,000
- Last 48: £11,000
- Last 80: £7,000
- Last 112: £4,000
- Last 144: £2,000
- 147 Break: £50,000
Draw and Schedule
The draw for the tournament follows a structure similar to the World Championship, with the top 16 players entering at the last 32 stage. Here is a glimpse into the initial rounds:
Round One (Friday, August 8)
- 12pm UK time:
- Florian Nuessle v Dylan Emery
- Liam Pullen v Ahmed Aseeri
- Robbie McGuigan v Gao Yang
- Kreishh Gurbaxani v Reanne Evans
- Ross Muir v Abdulraouf Saigh
- Sahil Nayyar v Habib Subah
- Huang Jiahao v Wildcard TBA
- Steven Hallworth v Omar Alajlani
- 2pm:
- Leone Crowley v Ziyad Alqabbani
- Zhao Hanyang v Musab Sayegh
- Jonas Luz v Musaad Almisfir
- Mateusz Baranowski v Lan Yuhao
- Michal Szubarczyk v Ryan Davies
- Sam Craigie v Xu Yichen
- Liam Highfield v Mohammed Al Joker
- Jiang Jun v Hesham Shawky
- 6pm:
- Chatchapong Nasa v Fahad Alghamdi
- Iulian Boiko v Liu Wenwei
- Mitchell Mann v Ashley Hugill
- Ian Burns v David Grace
- Chang Bingyu v Marco Fu
- Ken Doherty v Jimmy White
- Connor Benzey v Adeel Aqdus
- Mink Nutcharut v Umut Dikme
- 8pm:
- Louis Heathcote v Ayman Alamri
- Hatem Yassen v Ng On Yee
- Mohammed Shebab v Abdullah Alotayyani
- Oliver Brown v Patrick Whelan
- Yao Pengcheng v Alexander Ursenbacher
- Fergal Quinn v Mahmoud El Hareedy
- Farakh Ajaib v Saud Albaker
- Liam Graham v Asif Mukhtar
Round Two (Saturday, August 9)
- 11am:
- Ben Mertens v Muir/Saigh
- Ishpreet Singh Chadha v Baranowski/Lan
- Bulcsu Revesz v Szubarczyk/R. Davies
- Mark Davis v Craigie/Xu Y
- Jordan Brown v Nayyar/Subah
- Cheung Ka Wai v Huang/Wildcard
- Stan Moody v Highfield/Al Joker
- Antoni Kowalski v Jiang/Shawky
- 1pm:
- Gong Chenzhi v Nuessle/Emery
- Oliver Lines v Pullen/Aseeri
- Chris Totten v McGuigan/Gao
- Aaron Hill v Crowley/Alqabbani
- Liam Davies v Gurbaxani/Evans
- Long Zehuang v Zhao H/Sayegh
- Amir Sarkhosh v Luz/Almisfir
- Michael Holt v Hallworth/Alajlani
- 5.30pm:
- David Lilley v Nasa/Alghamdi
- Allan Taylor v Shebab/Alotayyani
- Anthony McGill v O. Brown/Whelan
- Julien Leclercq v Mink/Dikme
- Liu Hongyu v Yao/Ursenbacher
- Jamie Jones v Quinn/El Hareedy
- Haris Tahir v Ajaib/Albaker
- Duane Jones v Graham/Mukhtar
- 7.30pm:
- Sunny Akani v Heathcote/Alamri
- Zak Surety v Boiko/Liu Wenwei
- Haydon Pinhey v Mann/Hugill
- Matthew Stevens v Burns/Grace
- Scott Donaldson v Chang/Fu
- Artemijs Zizins v Doherty/White
- Sanderson Lam v Benzey/Aqdus
- Wang Yuchen v Yassen/On Yee
Round Three (Sunday, August 10)
- 11am:
- Noppon Saengkham v Gong/Nuessle/Emery
- Matthew Selt v O. Lines/Pullen/Aseeri
- Gary Wilson v Totten/McGuigan/Gao
- Robert Milkins v Hill/Crowley/Alqabbani
- Jack Lisowski v L. Davies/Gurbaxani/Evans
- Xu Si v Long/Zhao H/Sayegh
- Pang Junxu v Sarkhosh/Luz/Almisfir
- Jimmy Robertson v Holt/Hallworth/Alajlani
- 1pm:
- Elliot Slessor v Mertens/Muir/Saigh
- Lyu Haotian v Singh Chadha/Baranowski/Lan
- Stuart Bingham v Revesz/Szubarczyk/R. Davies
- He Guoqiang v Davis/Craigie/Xu Y
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v J. Brown/Nayyar/Subah
- Jak Jones v Ka Wai/Huang/Wildcard
- Ryan Day v Moody/Highfield/Al Joker
- Yuan Sijun v Kowalski/Jiang/Shawky
- 5.30pm:
- Ben Woollaston v Lilley/Nasa/Alghamdi
- Lei Peifan v Akani/Heathcote/Alamri
- Jackson Page v Surety/Boiko/Liu W
- Wu Yize v Pinhey/Mann/Hugill
- Robbie Williams v Stevens/Burns/Grace
- Daniel Wells v Donaldson/Chang/Fu
- David Gilbert v Zizins/Doherty/White
- Luca Brecel v Lam/Benzey/Aqdus
- 7.30pm:
- Joe O’Connor v Wang/Yassen/On Yee
- Stephen Maguire v Taylor/Shebab/Alotayyani
- Ricky Walden v McGill/O. Brown/Whelan
- Hossein Vafaei v Leclercq/Mink/Dikme
- Martin O’Donnell v Liu H/Yao/Ursenbacher
- Fan Zhengyi v Jamie Jones/Quinn/El Hareedy
- Tom Ford v Tahir/Ajaib/Albaker
- Zhou Yuelong v D. Jones/Graham/Mukhtar
Round Four (Monday, August 11)
- 11am:
- 1) Saengkham/Gong/Nuessle/Emery v Selt/O. Lines/Pullen/Aseeri
- 2) G. Wilson/Totten/McGuigan/Gao v Milkins/Hill/Crowley/Alqabbani
- 3) Woollaston/ Lilley/Nasa/Alghamdi v Lisowski/L. Davies/Gurbaxani/Evans
- 4) Xu S/Long/Zhao H/Sayegh v Pang/Sarkhosh/Luz/Almisfir
- 5) Slessor/Mertens/Muir/Saigh v Lyu/Singh Chadha/Baranowski/Lan
- 6) Bingham/Revesz/Szubarczyk/R. Davies v He/Davis/Craigie/Xu Y
- 7) Un-Nooh/J. Brown/Nayyar/Subah v Jak Jones/Ka Wai/Huang/Wildcard
- 8) Day/Moody/Highfield/Al Joker v Yuan/Kowalski/Jiang/Shawky
- 5.30pm:
- 9) Lei/Akani/Heathcote/Alamri v Page/Surety/Boiko/Liu W
- 10) Wu/Pinhey/Mann/Hugill v R. Williams/Stevens/Burns/Grace
- 11) Wells/Donaldson/Chang/Fu v Gilbert/Zizins/Doherty/White
- 12) Brecel/Lam/Benzey/Aqdus v O’Connor/Wang/Yassen/On Yee
- 13) Maguire/Taylor/Shebab/Alotayyani v Walden/McGill/O. Brown/Whelan
- 14) Vafaei/Leclercq/Mink/Dikme v O’Donnell/Liu H/Yao/Ursenbacher
- 15) Fan/Jamie Jones/Quinn/El Hareedy v Ford/Tahir/Ajaib/Albaker
- 16) J. Robertson/Holt/Hallworth/Alajlani v Zhou/D. Jones/Graham/Mukhtar
Round Five (Tuesday, August 12)
- Judd Trump v Winner of match 1
- Ali Carter v Winner of match 2
- Neil Robertson v Winner of match 3
- Mark Selby v Winner of match 4
- John Higgins v Winner of match 5
- Zhang Anda v Winner of match 6
- Shaun Murphy v Winner of match 7
- Mark Williams v Winner of match 8
- Kyren Wilson v Winner of match 9
- Si Jiahui v Winner of match 10
- Mark Allen v Winner of match 11
- Ronnie O’Sullivan v Winner of match 12
- Ding Junhui v Winner of match 13
- Barry Hawkins v Winner of match 14
- Chris Wakelin v Winner of match 15
- Zhao Xintong v Winner of match 16
Odds for the Tournament
Here are the current odds for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters:
- Judd Trump: 7/2
- Zhao Xintong: 7/2
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: 6/1
- Kyren Wilson: 6/1
- Mark Selby: 15/2
- Neil Robertson: 10/1
- Mark Allen: 12/1
- Shaun Murphy: 12/1
- John Higgins: 12/1
- Mark Williams: 14/1
- Barry Hawkins: 16/1
- Ding Junhui: 16/1
- Ali Carter: 20/1
- Luca Brecel: 20/1
- Si Jiahui: 25/1
- Chris Wakelin: 33/1
- Jack Lisowski: 33/1
- Wu Yize: 33/1
- Zhang Anda: 33/1
- Joe O’Connor: 40/1
- Jak Jones: 40/1
- Hossein Vafaei: 50/1
- Stephen Maguire: 50/1
- Stuart Bingham: 50/1
- Zhou Yuelong: 66/1
- Pang Junxu: 66/1
- Noppon Saengkham: 66/1
- Yuan Sijun: 66/1
- Gary Wilson: 66/1
Odds courtesy of Betfair, full list available here.