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 prestigious tournament matches the top prize of the World Championship, with the champion earning £500,000. As a ranking event, it holds significant importance for players whose careers and fortunes can be transformed during the competition.
Judd Trump made history by winning the inaugural edition of the tournament last year in Riyadh. His victory over Mark Williams was one of the most dramatic finishes, with the Welsh player missing a crucial shot at 9-9. Trump capitalized on the opportunity, scoring 72 points to clinch the title on the final black ball. This win earned him £500,000, while Williams received £200,000, highlighting the high stakes involved in the competition.
Kyren Wilson is entering the event in strong form after recently claiming victory at the Shanghai Masters. He defeated Ali Carter in the final, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure. The field for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters is impressive, featuring top players such as Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Mark Allen, and world champion Zhao Xintong.
Key Details About the Tournament
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will take place from August 8 to August 16 at the Green Halls in Jeddah. The schedule is unique, running from a Friday to a Saturday in Saudi Arabia. This format ensures that fans have ample time to follow the action.
For viewers in the UK, the tournament will be broadcast on TNT Sports and Discovery+. International audiences can find information on how to watch the event through various platforms.
Prize Money Breakdown
The prize money structure for the tournament is highly competitive, with the following amounts:
- 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
This generous prize fund adds to the excitement of the tournament, drawing top talent from around the world.
Draw and Schedule
The draw for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters follows a structure similar to the World Championship, with the top 16 players entering at round five or the last 32. The initial rounds feature a variety of matches, including:
Round One (Friday, August 8)
- 12pm UK Time:
- Florian Nuessle vs Dylan Emery
- Liam Pullen vs Ahmed Aseeri
- Robbie McGuigan vs Gao Yang
- Kreishh Gurbaxani vs Reanne Evans
- Ross Muir vs Abdulraouf Saigh
- Sahil Nayyar vs Habib Subah
- Huang Jiahao vs Wildcard TBA
-
Steven Hallworth vs Omar Alajlani
-
2pm:
- Leone Crowley vs Ziyad Alqabbani
- Zhao Hanyang vs Musab Sayegh
- Jonas Luz vs Musaad Almisfir
- Mateusz Baranowski vs Lan Yuhao
- Michal Szubarczyk vs Ryan Davies
- Sam Craigie vs Xu Yichen
- Liam Highfield vs Mohammed Al Joker
-
Jiang Jun vs Hesham Shawky
-
6pm:
- Chatchapong Nasa vs Fahad Alghamdi
- Iulian Boiko vs Liu Wenwei
- Mitchell Mann vs Ashley Hugill
- Ian Burns vs David Grace
- Chang Bingyu vs Marco Fu
- Ken Doherty vs Jimmy White
- Connor Benzey vs Adeel Aqdus
-
Mink Nutcharut vs Umut Dikme
-
8pm:
- Louis Heathcote vs Ayman Alamri
- Hatem Yassen vs Ng On Yee
- Mohammed Shebab vs Abdullah Alotayyani
- Oliver Brown vs Patrick Whelan
- Yao Pengcheng vs Alexander Ursenbacher
- Fergal Quinn vs Mahmoud El Hareedy
- Farakh Ajaib vs Saud Albaker
- Liam Graham vs Asif Mukhtar
Round Two (Saturday, August 9)
- 11am:
- Ben Mertens vs Muir/Saigh
- Ishpreet Singh Chadha vs Baranowski/Lan
- Bulcsu Revesz vs Szubarczyk/R. Davies
- Mark Davis vs Craigie/Xu Y
- Jordan Brown vs Nayyar/Subah
- Cheung Ka Wai vs Huang/Wildcard
- Stan Moody vs Highfield/Al Joker
-
Antoni Kowalski vs Jiang/Shawky
-
1pm:
- Gong Chenzhi vs Nuessle/Emery
- Oliver Lines vs Pullen/Aseeri
- Chris Totten vs McGuigan/Gao
- Aaron Hill vs Crowley/Alqabbani
- Liam Davies vs Gurbaxani/Evans
- Long Zehuang vs Zhao H/Sayegh
- Amir Sarkhosh vs Luz/Almisfir
-
Michael Holt vs Hallworth/Alajlani
-
5.30pm:
- David Lilley vs Nasa/Alghamdi
- Allan Taylor vs Shebab/Alotayyani
- Anthony McGill vs O. Brown/Whelan
- Julien Leclercq vs Mink/Dikme
- Liu Hongyu vs Yao/Ursenbacher
- Jamie Jones vs Quinn/El Hareedy
- Haris Tahir vs Ajaib/Albaker
-
Duane Jones vs Graham/Mukhtar
-
7.30pm:
- Sunny Akani vs Heathcote/Alamri
- Zak Surety vs Boiko/Liu Wenwei
- Haydon Pinhey vs Mann/Hugill
- Matthew Stevens vs Burns/Grace
- Scott Donaldson vs Chang/Fu
- Artemijs Zizins vs Doherty/White
- Sanderson Lam vs Benzey/Aqdus
- Wang Yuchen vs Yassen/On Yee
Round Three (Sunday, August 10)
- 11am:
- Noppon Saengkham vs Gong/Nuessle/Emery
- Matthew Selt vs O. Lines/Pullen/Aseeri
- Gary Wilson vs Totten/McGuigan/Gao
- Robert Milkins vs Hill/Crowley/Alqabbani
- Jack Lisowski vs L. Davies/Gurbaxani/Evans
- Xu Si vs Long/Zhao H/Sayegh
- Pang Junxu vs Sarkhosh/Luz/Almisfir
-
Jimmy Robertson vs Holt/Hallworth/Alajlani
-
1pm:
- Elliot Slessor vs Mertens/Muir/Saigh
- Lyu Haotian vs Singh Chadha/Baranowski/Lan
- Stuart Bingham vs Revesz/Szubarczyk/R. Davies
- He Guoqiang vs Davis/Craigie/Xu Y
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs J. Brown/Nayyar/Subah
- Jak Jones vs Ka Wai/Huang/Wildcard
- Ryan Day vs Moody/Highfield/Al Joker
-
Yuan Sijun vs Kowalski/Jiang/Shawky
-
5.30pm:
- Ben Woollaston vs Lilley/Nasa/Alghamdi
- Lei Peifan vs Akani/Heathcote/Alamri
- Jackson Page vs Surety/Boiko/Liu W
- Wu Yize vs Pinhey/Mann/Hugill
- Robbie Williams vs Stevens/Burns/Grace
- Daniel Wells vs Donaldson/Chang/Fu
- David Gilbert vs Zizins/Doherty/White
-
Luca Brecel vs Lam/Benzey/Aqdus
-
7.30pm:
- Joe O’Connor vs Wang/Yassen/On Yee
- Stephen Maguire vs Taylor/Shebab/Alotayyani
- Ricky Walden vs McGill/O. Brown/Whelan
- Hossein Vafaei vs Leclercq/Mink/Dikme
- Martin O’Donnell vs Liu H/Yao/Ursenbacher
- Fan Zhengyi vs Jamie Jones/Quinn/El Hareedy
- Tom Ford vs Tahir/Ajaib/Albaker
- Zhou Yuelong vs D. Jones/Graham/Mukhtar
Round Four (Monday, August 11)
- 11am:
- Match 1: Saengkham/Gong/Nuessle/Emery vs Selt/O. Lines/Pullen/Aseeri
- Match 2: G. Wilson/Totten/McGuigan/Gao vs Milkins/Hill/Crowley/Alqabbani
- Match 3: Woollaston/Lilley/Nasa/Alghamdi vs Lisowski/L. Davies/Gurbaxani/Evans
- Match 4: Xu S/Long/Zhao H/Sayegh vs Pang/Sarkhosh/Luz/Almisfir
- Match 5: Slessor/Mertens/Muir/Saigh vs Lyu/Singh Chadha/Baranowski/Lan
- Match 6: Bingham/Revesz/Szubarczyk/R. Davies vs He/Davis/Craigie/Xu Y
- Match 7: Un-Nooh/J. Brown/Nayyar/Subah vs Jak Jones/Ka Wai/Huang/Wildcard
-
Match 8: Day/Moody/Highfield/Al Joker vs Yuan/Kowalski/Jiang/Shawky
-
5.30pm:
- Match 9: Lei/Akani/Heathcote/Alamri vs Page/Surety/Boiko/Liu W
- Match 10: Wu/Pinhey/Mann/Hugill vs R. Williams/Stevens/Burns/Grace
- Match 11: Wells/Donaldson/Chang/Fu vs Gilbert/Zizins/Doherty/White
- Match 12: Brecel/Lam/Benzey/Aqdus vs O’Connor/Wang/Yassen/On Yee
- Match 13: Maguire/Taylor/Shebab/Alotayyani vs Walden/McGill/O. Brown/Whelan
- Match 14: Vafaei/Leclercq/Mink/Dikme vs O’Donnell/Liu H/Yao/Ursenbacher
- Match 15: Fan/Jamie Jones/Quinn/El Hareedy vs Ford/Tahir/Ajaib/Albaker
- Match 16: J. Robertson/Holt/Hallworth/Alajlani vs Zhou/D. Jones/Graham/Mukhtar
Round Five (Tuesday, August 12)
- Judd Trump vs Winner of match 1
- Ali Carter vs Winner of match 2
- Neil Robertson vs Winner of match 3
- Mark Selby vs Winner of match 4
- John Higgins vs Winner of match 5
- Zhang Anda vs Winner of match 6
- Shaun Murphy vs Winner of match 7
- Mark Williams vs Winner of match 8
- Kyren Wilson vs Winner of match 9
- Si Jiahui vs Winner of match 10
- Mark Allen vs Winner of match 11
- Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Winner of match 12
- Ding Junhui vs Winner of match 13
- Barry Hawkins vs Winner of match 14
- Chris Wakelin vs Winner of match 15
- Zhao Xintong vs Winner of match 16
Odds and Expectations
The odds for the tournament reflect the strength of the field, with several top players having strong chances:
- 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
These odds highlight the competitive nature of the tournament, with multiple players vying for the top prize.