2024 World Masters of Snooker

2024 Riyadh Season
World Masters of Snooker
Tournament information
Dates4–6 March 2024 (2024-03-04 – 2024-03-06)
VenueGlobal Theatre
CityBoulevard City, Riyadh
CountrySaudi Arabia
OrganisationWorld Snooker Tour
FormatNon-ranking event
Total prize fund£785,000
Winner's share£250,000
Highest break Ding Junhui (CHN) (138)
Final
Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
Runner-up Luca Brecel (BEL)
Score5‍–‍2

The 2024 World Masters of Snooker (officially the 2024 Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker) was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place from 4 to 6 March 2024 at the Global Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and part of the Riyadh Season festival in the entertainment district Boulevard City within Riyadh, the event was the first professional snooker tournament held in Saudi Arabia, and the inaugural staging of the World Masters of Snooker. It introduced a new 20-point gold ball called the "Riyadh Season ball", which could only be potted after a player had completed a maximum break of 147 to extend the break to 167. The event was broadcast locally in the Middle East and North Africa and worldwide. The winner received £250,000 from a total prize fund of £785,000.

The event featured 12 players, including the top ten players on the snooker world rankings, with the reigning World Champion, Luca Brecel, as the top seed, as well as two local wildcard players, Ali Alobaidli from Qatar and Omar Alajlani from Saudi Arabia.

World number one player Ronnie O'Sullivan won the event, defeating Brecel 5‍–‍2 in the final, capturing his fifth professional title of the 2023‍–‍24 season.[1]

The tournament produced 16 century breaks. O'Sullivan made six, the most of any player. The highest break was a 138 made by Ding Junhui. No player successfully compiled a maximum break for a chance to pot the new "Riyadh Season" gold ball. John Higgins made an attempt in his second-round match against Mark Williams, potting all 15 reds with blacks, but lost position and missed the yellow to end the break at 120.[2] Higgins was defeated in the quarter-finals by eventual winner O'Sullivan 0‍–‍4. Despite the match starting at 1:48 am local time, O'Sullivan made breaks of 135, 129, 102, and 82 to complete the whitewash, with Higgins having not potted a single ball in the whole match. In another quarter-final match, Mark Allen recovered from 0‍–‍2 and 1‍–‍3 behind to beat Mark Selby 4‍–‍3, winning the deciding frame on the last black.[3]

Overview

In December 2019, World Snooker Tour (WST) announced a 10-year deal with Saudi Arabia, including ranking tournaments that will be hosted in the country.[4] However, no snooker tournaments were held in Saudi Arabia in the next four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] In January 2024, WST announced a new non-ranking tournament called the World Masters of Snooker, to take place from 4 to 6 March 2024 at the Boulevard Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[6] It was the first professional snooker tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia.[7]

Format

Colour Value
Red 1 point
Yellow 2 points
Green 3 points
Brown 4 points
Blue 5 points
Pink 6 points
Black 7 points
Riyadh Season ball 20 points

All matches were played as the best of seven frames except the final, which was played as the best of nine frames.[8]

The matches were played under regular snooker rules, but the event introduced a new gold ball worth 20 points, called the "Riyadh Season ball". The gold ball was placed on the centre of the baulk cushion, in line with the brown, blue, pink, and black balls. It could only be potted after a player had completed a maximum break of 147, to extend the break to 167. It would be a four-point foul if the gold ball were potted earlier in the frame, or hit before the object ball. The gold ball stayed on the table as long as it was possible for either player to complete a maximum break, then it was removed from the table until the next frame.[9][10]

Participants

The event was originally planned to feature ten players, including the top eight players on the snooker world rankings, with the reigning World Champion, Luca Brecel, seeded first, and the rest based on their rankings. It also features two local wildcard players, Ali Alobaidli from Qatar and Omar Alajlani from Saudi Arabia.[11][12] On 29 February, WST announced that the tournament was expanded to 12 players, with the addition of world numbers nine and ten, Ding Junhui and John Higgins.[10]

Broadcasters

The tournament was broadcast locally with Arabic commentary across the Middle East and North Africa by MBC Action, MBC Egypt, Saudi Sport, webook, and Shahid. It was also broadcast by Eurosport and Discovery+ in Europe (including the United Kingdom and Ireland); by Migu and Huya in mainland China; Now TV in Hong Kong; Astro SuperSport in Malaysia; TrueVisions in Thailand; Sportcast in Taiwan; Premier Sports Network in the Philippines; Sportstars and Vision+ in Indonesia; Skynet in Myanmar; Hang Meas in Cambodia; and DAZN in all other territories.[13]

Prize money

The event featured a total prize pool of £785,000. An additional prize of $500,000 (about £395,000) would have been given to the first player to compile a 167 break.[10] However, no player was able to do so and the prize was not collected.[1] The breakdown of prize money for the event is shown below:

  • Winner: £250,000
  • Runner-up: £125,000
  • Semi-finals: £75,000
  • Quarter-finals: £50,000
  • Round 2: £25,000
  • Round 1: £5,000
  • 167 break: $500,000 (about £395,000) for first made
  • Total: £785,000

Tournament draw

Numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the players' seedings, and players in bold denote match winners. All matches were played as the best of seven frames except the final, which was played as the best of nine frames.[8][14]

Round 1
Best of 7 frames 		Round 2
Best of 7 frames 		Quarter-finals
Best of 7 frames 		Semi-finals
Best of 7 frames 		Final
Best of 9 frames
 Luca Brecel (BEL) (1) 4
 Ali Carter (ENG) (8) 1
 Ali Carter (ENG) (8) 4
 Ding Junhui (CHN) (9) 4  Ding Junhui (CHN) (9) 3
 Omar Alajlani (SAU) 0 Belgium Luca Brecel (1) 4
Northern Ireland Mark Allen (4) 2
 Mark Allen (NIR) (4) 4
 Mark Selby (ENG) (5) 3
Belgium Luca Brecel (1) 2
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 5
 Judd Trump (ENG) (3) 4
 Shaun Murphy (ENG) (6) 3
England Judd Trump (3) 1
 John Higgins (SCO) (10) 4 England Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 4
 Ali Alobaidli (QAT) 0  Mark Williams (WAL) (7) 2
 John Higgins (SCO) (10) 4
 Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (2) 4
 John Higgins (SCO) (10) 0

Final

Final
Final: Best of 9 frames. Referee: Tatiana Woollaston
Global Theatre, Boulevard City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 6 March 2024.
Luca Brecel (1)
 Belgium 		2–5 Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)
 England
Frame scores: 3–118, 107–9, 81–0, 29–94, 0–121 (121), 0–69, 0–131 (124)
(frame 3) 81 Highest break 124 (frame 7)
0 Century breaks 2

Controversies

Promotional poster for the event featuring the "Riyadh Season" gold ball

The announcement of the event, hailed as a "huge breakthrough" by WST chairman, Steve Dawson, was met with criticism accusing Saudi Arabia of sportswashing.[15] Amnesty International criticised snooker's involvement in Saudi Arabia, amid its human rights abuses. Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK's Economic Affairs director, said: "It was just a matter of time before Saudi Arabia's huge sportswashing machine sucked in snooker along with almost every other major world sport. If the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump play in Riyadh, they shouldn't hesitate to speak out about human rights." Some players have also criticised WST of overly focusing on events featuring the top players. Amateur player Steven Hallworth tweeted: "Was starting to lose sleep with worry that the top eight players might run out of events and cash soon, thank God for this."[16]

The introduction of the 20-point gold ball was criticised by The Independent journalist Luke Baker, who called it a "ludicrous gimmick" and "the sign of a desperate sport".[17] The Daily Telegraph chief sports writer Oliver Brown described the Saudi invention as "warping the very rules of the game for its own hubristic ends", calling it "frivolous, tasteless, wretched".[18]

Former World Champion Shaun Murphy, however, defended the event and the gold ball, saying: "the new promoters in Saudi will want their event to stand out and be different. At the end of the day you'd rather have the event than not." Murphy added: "if we (WST) only traded with countries with perfect human rights records, it would be a very, very small pool to pick from... We wouldn't be trading with the UK either."[19]

Century breaks

A total of 16 century breaks were made in the tournament.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b "Rocket rules in Riyadh". World Snooker Tour. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Riyadh: Day one round-up". World Snooker Tour. 4 March 2024. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Riyadh: Day two round-up". World Snooker Tour. 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  4. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (8 December 2019). "Saudi Arabia to host World Snooker ranking event for first time". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  5. ^ Caulfield, David (18 January 2024). "World Masters of Snooker event in Saudi Arabia to feature gold ball". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Saudi event to feature 20-point golden ball with 167 break possible". BBC Sport. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  7. ^ "First invitational event in Saudi announced". World Snooker Tour. 18 January 2024. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Riyadh Season World Masters (2024)". snooker.org. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Saudi Arabia to host new snooker event with added 20-point golden ball". Sky Sports. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Saudi Arabia set to welcome first pro snooker event with ground breaking 167 prize". World Snooker Tour. 29 February 2024. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Race to Riyadh - Carter claims last spot". World Snooker Tour. 22 February 2024. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker – Watch live!". World Snooker Tour. 28 February 2024. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  13. ^ "DAZN to broadcast Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker worldwide". World Snooker Tour. 3 March 2024. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  14. ^ "2024 World Masters of Snooker: Matches". World Snooker Tour. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  15. ^ Meredith, Sam (22 January 2024). "Saudi Arabia's lavish sports push will now embrace snooker — and introduce a new golden ball". CNBC. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  16. ^ "A maximum break of 167? Saudi snooker plans unveil 20-point gold ball". The Guardian. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  17. ^ Baker, Luke (19 January 2024). "A golden ball and a 167 break: Saudi Arabia's mad snooker gimmick is a step too far". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  18. ^ Brown, Oliver (19 January 2024). "Saudi Arabia's gaudy recasting of snooker's 147 is its worst gimmick yet". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Shaun Murphy: Fans should give Saudi Arabia event with golden ball a chance". Yahoo! Sports. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Century breaks: Riyadh Season World Masters - 16". SnookerInfo. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

Read other articles:

List of German-language newspapers published in the United States

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: List of German-language newspapers published in the United States – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Illinois Staats-Zeitung's 1871 building in Chicago, one of the largest Germa...

 

The Shaughraun (film)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: The Shaughraun film – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) 1912 American filmThe Shaughraunfrom left to right: Sidney Olcott, George Melville, Alice Hollister, Arthur Lester, J.P. ...

 

Kaidah penggandaan maksimum Hund

Kaidah penggandaan maksimum Hund (atau secara sederhana disebut sebagai kaidah Hund atau aturan Hund) adalah suatu kaidah yang berdasarkan pada spektrum atom, yang digunakan untuk memperkirakan keadaan dasar suatu atom atau molekul dengan satu atau lebih kelopak elektron terbuka. Kaidah ini menyatakan bahwa untuk konfigurasi elektron tertentu, energi terrendah adalah yang memiliki nilai penggandaan spin terbesar.[1] Ini menyiratkan bahwa jika terdapat dua atau lebih orbital dengan ene...

Islam di Barbados

Islam menurut negara Afrika Aljazair Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Kamerun Tanjung Verde Republik Afrika Tengah Chad Komoro Republik Demokratik Kongo Republik Kongo Djibouti Mesir Guinea Khatulistiwa Eritrea Eswatini Etiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Pantai Gading Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagaskar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Maroko Mozambik Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome dan Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia Somaliland Afrika Selatan ...

 

Domoprednate

Chemical compound DomoprednateClinical dataTrade namesStermonidOther namesRo 12-7024; 11β-Hydroxy-D-homopregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione 17α-butyrateRoutes ofadministrationTopicalDrug classCorticosteroid; GlucocorticoidIdentifiers IUPAC name [(1R,4aS,4bS,10aR,10bS,11S,12aS)-1-Acetyl-11-hydroxy-10a,12a-dimethyl-8-oxo-2,3,4,4a,4b,5,6,10b,11,12-decahydrochrysen-1-yl] butanoate CAS Number66877-67-6PubChem CID68868ChemSpider62100UNII910G0QIM2MChEMBLChEMBL2106538ECHA InfoCard100.060.441 Chemical and p...

 

Middlesex Fells Reservation

Recreation area in Massachusetts, United States Middlesex Fells ReservationBridge crossing 18th-century dam on Spot Pond BrookLocation in MassachusettsShow map of MassachusettsMiddlesex Fells Reservation (the United States)Show map of the United StatesLocationMalden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United StatesCoordinates42°26′51″N 71°06′21″W / 42.44750°N 71.10583°W / 42.44750; -71.10583[1]Area2,283 acres (9.24...

Serve the People (film)

Serve the PeoplePoster rilis resmiNama lainHangul인민을 위해 복무하라 Alih Aksara yang DisempurnakanInmineul Wihae Bongmuhara SutradaraJang Cheol-sooProduserPark Jin-seongSkenarioJang Cheol-sooBerdasarkanServe the People!oleh Yan LiankePemeranYeon Woo-jinJi AnJo Sung-haKim Ji-chulPerusahaanproduksiLeopard Film CompanyJoy N CinemaDistributorJNC Media GroupTanggal rilis 23 Februari 2022 (2022-02-23) Durasi146 menitNegaraKorea SelatanBahasaKoreaPendapatankotorTemplat:Estimate...

 

Bijoy Sarani metro station

Metro station in Dhaka Bijoy Saraniবিজয় সরণিDhaka Metro Rail stationStation buildingGeneral informationOther namesStation 10LocationBijoy Sarani, Tejgaon Thana, DhakaBangladeshCoordinates23°45′59″N 90°22′35″E / 23.7663759°N 90.3762934°E / 23.7663759; 90.3762934Owned byDhaka Mass Transit Company LimitedLine(s) MRT Line 6 PlatformsSide platformTracks2ConstructionStructure typeElevatedPlatform levels3ParkingNoBicycle facilitiesNoAc...

 

CFPL (AM)

News/talk radio station in London, Ontario, Canada CFPLLondon, OntarioBroadcast areaSouthwestern OntarioFrequency980 kHz (AM)Branding980 CFPLProgrammingFormatNews/TalkAffiliationsGlobal NewsLondon KnightsToronto Blue Jays Radio Network[1]OwnershipOwnerCorus Entertainment(Corus Premium Television Ltd.)Sister stationsCFPL-FM, CFHK-FM, CKDK-FMHistoryFirst air dateSeptember 30, 1922Former frequencies430 metres (1922–1925)910 kHz (1925–1933)730 kHz (1933–1941)1570 kHz (1941–1949)Ca...

Nephthys

NephthysNephthys digambarkan sebagai perempuan muda, mengenakan mahkota berbentuk rumah dan keranjangDewi Perkabungan dan RatapanNama dalam hiroglif Pusat pemujaantidak ada secara khusus, Diospolis ParvaSimbolrumah, pembungkus mumiOrangtuaGeb dan NutSaudaraIsis, Osiris, Horus, dan SetPasanganSet Nephthys - Musée du Louvre, Paris, France Nephthys Hieroglif Mesir Dalam mitologi Mesir, Nephthys adalah bentuk Yunani dari epitet (sebenarnya dibaca Nebet-het, dan Nebt-het, dalam transliterasi dari...

 

Sketchman

SketchmanSketchman performing near the River ThamesBackground informationBirth nameCharles HazellBorn (1988-10-15) 15 October 1988 (age 35)Sutton, London, EnglandGenresGrime, dubstep, alternative hip hopOccupation(s)Recording artist, songwriter, record producer, musicianInstrument(s)Vocals, loop station, sample pad, guitarYears active2007–presentLabelsUncle Albert Records (Independent)Websitesketchmanmusic.co.ukMusical artist Charles Hazell (born 15 October 1988),[1] better kn...

 

Frederick Barbarossa

Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 to 1190 Frederick BarbarossaEmperor of the RomansA golden bust of Frederick, given to his godfather Count Otto of Cappenberg in 1171. It was used as a reliquary in Cappenberg Abbey and is said in the deed of the gift to have been made in the likeness of the emperor.Holy Roman EmperorReign1155 – 10 June 1190Coronation18 June 1155, RomePredecessorLothair IIISuccessorHenry VIKing of ItalyReign1155 – 10 June 1190Coronation24 April 1155, PaviaPredecessorConrad IIIS...

Francesco Rosi

Francesco Rosi Francesco Rosi (Napoli, 15 novembre 1922 – Roma, 10 gennaio 2015[1]) è stato un regista e sceneggiatore italiano. Indice 1 Biografia 1.1 Formazione 1.2 Gli esordi 1.3 Anni sessanta: da Salvatore Giuliano a C'era una volta 1.4 L'incontro con Gian Maria Volonté 1.5 Citizen Rosi: da Cadaveri eccellenti a La tregua 1.6 Il teatro di Eduardo con la regia di Rosi 1.7 Gli ultimi anni: progetti e riconoscimenti 1.8 Vita privata 2 Archivio 3 Filmografia 3.1 Regista 3.2 Sceneg...

 

Queen of Tanganyika

Elizabeth II's reign in Tanganyika from 1961 to 1962 Queen of TanganyikaCoat of arms of TanganyikaElizabeth II DetailsStyleHer MajestyFormation9 December 1961Abolition9 December 1962 Elizabeth II was Queen of Tanganyika from 1961 to 1962, when Tanganyika was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy. She was also the monarch of other sovereign states, including the United Kingdom. Her constitutional roles in Tanganyika were mostly delegated to the governor-general of Tangan...

 

What You're Made Of (Lindsey Stirling song)

2020 single by Lindsey Stirling featuring KieszaWhat You're Made OfSingle by Lindsey Stirling featuring KieszaReleased12 August 2020Genre Dubstep classical crossover electro house EDM Length3:27LabelLindseystomp Records (BMG)Songwriter(s)Lindsey Stirling, Wendy Wang, RuthAnne, GladiusProducer(s)GladiusLindsey Stirling singles chronology Artemis (2019) What You're Made Of (2020) Lose You Now (2021) What You're Made Of is a 2020 single written and performed by violinist Lindsey Stirling fea...

Kapila

Sage in Hindu traditionSee also: Kapil AshramThis article is about the Hindu sage Kapila. For other uses, see Kapila (disambiguation). KapilaWatercolour painting on paper of Kapila, a sagePersonalReligionHinduismSpouseDhriti [1]Parent(s)Devahuti (mother), Kardama (father)OrganizationPhilosophySamkhyaReligious career Influenced Buddha, Vyasa, Samkhya and Yoga Philosophers Part of a series onHindu philosophy Orthodox Samkhya Yoga Nyaya Vaisheshika Mīmāṃsā Vedanta Heterodox Charvaka...

 

Prima guerra mondiale

Disambiguazione – Grande guerra rimanda qui. Se stai cercando il film, vedi La grande guerra. Prima guerra mondialeDa in alto a sinistra in senso orario: insorti russi nelle strade di San Pietroburgo; la nave da battaglia Szent István affonda; fanti britannici in trincea sulla Somme; mitraglieri austroungarici sulle montagne sud-tirolesi; truppe statunitensi nell'Argonne su carri armati Renault FT; bombardiere tedesco Gotha G.IV diretto su Londra.Data28 luglio 1914 – 11 novembre...

 

Hulu Selangor (Daerah)

Untuk Pemerintah daerah di Selangor, lihat Hulu Selangor. Hulu SelangorDaerah/DistrikDaerah Hulu SelangorTranskripsi Other • Jawiدايره هولو سلڠور • Cina乌鲁雪兰莪县 • Tamilஉலு சிலாங்கூர்Motto: Berdisiplin, Akuntabilitas, Integritas, Kerjasama timHulu SelangorLocation of Hulu Selangor District in MalaysiaKoordinat: 3°35′N 101°35′E / 3.583°N 101.583°E / 3.583; 101.583Negar...

Rheinbach

Town in North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyRheinbach TownAerial view of Rheinbach FlagCoat of armsLocation of Rheinbach within Rhein-Sieg-Kreis district Rheinbach Show map of GermanyRheinbach Show map of North Rhine-WestphaliaCoordinates: 50°38′N 6°57′E / 50.633°N 6.950°E / 50.633; 6.950CountryGermanyStateNorth Rhine-WestphaliaAdmin. regionCologne DistrictRhein-Sieg-Kreis Subdivisions9Government • Mayor (2020–25) Ludger Banken[1]Area ...

 

Matt Lindblad

American ice hockey player Ice hockey player Matt Lindblad Lindblad in 2014Born (1990-03-23) March 23, 1990 (age 34)Evanston, Illinois, U.S.Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)Weight 193 lb (88 kg; 13 st 11 lb)Position Left wingShot LeftPlayed for Boston BruinsNHL draft UndraftedPlaying career 2013–2016 Matthew Maurice Lindblad (born March 23, 1990) is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He is currently a professional scout for the Boston Br...