Announced initial details regarding the Saudi Arabia Masters in Snooker.
Recently, the Shanghai Masters, marking the beginning of the season, concluded. Subsequent to this event, significant developments concerning the 2024/2025 season emerged. The substantial bonus stirred up quite a fuss this week. Here's a rundown of the major snooker updates from the past few days.
Over 2 million GBP in prize money for the Saudi Arabia Masters
The forthcoming Saudi Arabia Masters, the first ranked tournament in Saudi Arabia, is set to take place towards the end of August. In March, an invitational tournament, titled the Riyadh Season World Masters, was held in Riyadh. Recently, the World Snooker Tour (WST) disclosed further information about the forthcoming event.
The Saudi Arabia Masters will take place from August 30 to September 7 in Riyadh. The overall prize money will surpass 2 million GBP (approximately 2.38 million EUR), making it highly probable that it will be the most lucrative tournament on the tour. Only the World Snooker Championship boasts a larger prize fund, amounting to 2.395 million GBP (approximately 2.85 million EUR).
All 128 players on the main tour will participate in the Saudi Arabia Masters, with 16 local wild card players joining the fray, culminating in a total field of 144 players. Reanne Evans, 38, Mink Nutcharut, 24, Bai Yulu, 21, and Baipat Siripaporn, 25, the four female snooker players on the tour, will also be vying for the title in Saudi Arabia.
The WST has revealed that the Saudi Arabia Masters will involve multiple rounds, with players competing based on their positions on the world rankings. For example, players ranked 81 to 112 will face off against those ranked 113 to 144 in the first round. The top 16 players on the world rankings will enter the competition in the fifth round.
The format of the Saudi Arabia Masters is expected to be reminiscent of the BetVictor Championship League Snooker, which included 128 players. Dr. Nasser Saab Al-Shammari, President of the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation, has already expressed his excitement about the event:
Snooker history is being rewritten in Saudi Arabia once again, and we couldn't be more thrilled. It's a remarkable experience to witness world-class talent from around the globe competing here and delivering an unforgettable experience for both the players and the spectators.– Dr. Nasser Saab Al-Shammari, President of the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation, WST
Saudi Arabia Masters and the Golden Ball?
As of now, it's uncertain whether the Golden Ball, which garnered attention at the Riyadh Season World Masters, will also be featured at the Saudi Arabia Masters. In the event that a player at the Riyadh Season World Masters had managed to achieve a perfect break, they would have claimed the Golden Ball and a prize of 395,000 GBP (approximately 462,000 EUR).
Since no player achieved this feat, Turki Al Alshikh, 42, Chairman of the Board of the General Entertainment Authority, declared that the Golden Ball would be worth 1 million USD (approximately 920,000 EUR) at the subsequent tournament.
100,000 GBP reward for 100 century breaks
Shortly after disclosing the substantial prize money for the Saudi Arabia Masters, the WST also unveiled an intriguing financial incentive. The first player to amass 100 100-point breaks in the 2024/2025 season will receive a bonus of 100,000 GBP (approximately 118,910 EUR). This bonus is called the Century of Centuries.
So far, only two players have managed to achieve this feat. Neil Robertson, 42, compiled 103 century breaks during the 2013/2014 season, and Judd Trump, 34, reached 102 century breaks during the 2019/2020 season.
All tournaments on the WST schedule will contribute towards this bonus. Century breaks recorded in invitational events will also count towards the additional reward. Presently, Judd Trump leads the rankings after winning the Shanghai Masters and having already earned ten century breaks.
Check out this Instagram post [A post shared by WST (@worldsnookertour)]
Organizers are hopeful that this bonus will infuse even more excitement into the competition:
We are thrilled to introduce this new bonus as it will introduce an additional storyline that will span the entire season. If a player is on the brink of achieving the “Century of Centuries” before the final events, the suspense will escalate with each game! – Steve Dawson, WST Chairman, WST
Is Cao Yupeng considering retiring from snooker to focus on 8-ball pool?
Those in-the-know of snooker might also be familiar with the so-called 8-ball pool. Also known as Chinese pool and Heyball, many snooker players, like Mark Williams, 49, and Ronnie O’Sullivan, 48, engage in 8-ball pool alongside their snooker careers. Recently, Cao Yupeng, 33, the 35th-ranked player in the world, has been rumored to be contemplating retiring from snooker and concentrating on 8-ball pool in China [English link]. Yupeng has yet to confirm his retirement plans from snooker.
8-ball pool is highly favored in China, boasting around 1 million gaming tables for this form of billiards. This specific type of billiards is frequently shown on television and provides growing monetary rewards. [Video in English]:
8-ball pool follows its unique set of regulations. The table dimensions measure approximately 9 feet (around 274 cm), while the pockets have a design similar to those found in snooker tables. 8-ball pool integrates various cue sports, making it a popular choice among many snooker enthusiasts as well.
Trump falters in Shanghai Masters follow-up
The Shanghai Masters concluded on a Monday with Judd Trump clinching the victory. A week afterwards, the Shijiazhuang Open Star Exhibition was held. Exhibitions are not part of the ranked pursuits, instead, they are showcase games that typically take place at the beginning of the season, and primarily aim to delight spectators.
The Shijiazhuang Open Star Exhibition showcased a remarkable cast which included Jimmy White, aged 62, John Higgins, aged 49, Judd Trump, and Mark Williams. John Higgins secured a 5-3 victory against Jimmy White in their battle. Judd Trump emerged victorious over Mark Williams in a repeat of their Shanghai Masters Last 16 confrontation, triumphing with a 5-1 scoreline.
In the final, John Higgins managed a 5-0 shutout against Trump to capture the exhibition trophy. The upcoming weeks will reveal whether the new snooker season will see promising results.
The Saudi Arabia Masters, scheduled to take place from August 30 to September 7, will likely become the most lucrative tournament on the World Snooker Tour due to its over 2 million GBP prize money.
The upcoming news regarding the Saudi Arabia Masters includes the participation of all 128 main tour players, 16 local wild card entrants, and the potential inclusion of the Golden Ball, which offers a substantial reward to any player achieving a perfect break.
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