The highest ten gamers from the world rankings can be within the draw collaborating on the upcoming Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia.
The World Snooker Tour returns to the Kingdom for the third time in 2024, with the profitable invitational match scheduled for December 18th to twentieth.
It’s successfully the identical occasion because the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker that came about in March earlier this 12 months.
Ronnie O’Sullivan emerged because the inaugural champion when he defeated Luca Brecel within the last to say the £250,000 champion’s cheque.
Each gamers will return for the second version of the competitors, which has been given an up to date identify presumably to higher distinguish it from the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters rating occasion.
Snooker’s golden ball
This is similar occasion that controversially launched a brand new golden ball price 20 factors that may solely be potted on the finish of a 147 break.
It implies that the best attainable break for the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship is 167 (175 with a free ball).
In March, there was a $500,000 reward for the primary participant to attain the brand new feat, however not one of the gamers obtained significantly shut.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Board of Administrators of the Common Leisure Authority (GEA), instantly introduced that the jackpot could be doubled to $1,000,000 for the match’s subsequent version.
Who else is within the draw?
The highest six from the official world rankings can be seeded by to the quarter-finals.
That features world primary Judd Trump and world champion Kyren Wilson, who’re in the identical half of the draw and will conflict within the semi-finals.
Reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is the highest seed and options within the prime half of the draw alongside world quantity three Mark Selby.
Marks Allen and Williams additionally take pleasure in byes by to the final eight with the pair drawn to face Selby and Trump respectively.
Trump, Williams, and O’Sullivan have been high-profile withdrawals at this week’s Scottish Open, however it’s extremely unlikely that they’ll skip Saudi Arabia with the elevated riches on provide.
The remaining 4 skilled gamers will enter in two staggered rounds that may launch the 2024 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
Chinese language duo Ding Junhui and Zhang Anda – numbers 9 and ten on this planet – should begin within the opening spherical in opposition to two wildcard additions who’re but to be introduced.
The winners will advance to face Shaun Murphy and Luca Brecel to finish the quarter-final lineup.
Extra particulars in regards to the match, together with find out how to watch, can be revealed on SnookerHQ.com forward of the beginning date.
2024 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship draw
– Spherical of 12 (bo7) –
Wednesday, Dec 18th – From 2pm UTC
Ding Junhui vs Wildcard
Zhang Anda vs Wildcard
– Spherical of 10 (bo7) –
Wednesday, Dec 18th – From 7pm UTC
Shaun Murphy vs Ding/Wildcard
Luca Brecel vs Zhang/Wildcard
– Quarter-Finals (bo7) –
Thursday, Dec nineteenth – From 2pm UTC
Mark Selby vs Mark Allen
Kyren Wilson vs Brecel/Zhang/Wildcard
Thursday, Dec nineteenth – From 7pm UTC
Judd Trump vs Mark Williams
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Murphy/Ding/Wildcard
– Semi-Finals (bo7) –
Friday, Dec twentieth – From 2pm UTC
TBC vs TBC
TBC vs TBC
– Closing (bo9) –
Friday, Dec twentieth – 7pm UTC
TBC vs TBC
Featured picture credit score: WST