Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker – which stars are playing at the new $1million event?
THE Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker is now well underway.
The tournament, which is the first ever World Snooker Tour event to take place in Saudi Arabia, is being held in Riyadh and will see the top eight players in the world compete.
Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker - who is playing at the new $1million event?
Ten players will take part in the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
The top eight snooker players in the world, as of the end of the Players Championship on February 25, 2024, and two wild cards are set to compete.
Luca Brecel, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Allen, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams and Ali Carter are the top eight players playing in the tournament.
Saudi Arabia's Omar Alajlani and Qatar's Ali Alobaidli have been confirmed as the wild cards.
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The games will be played at Riyadh's Boulevard Arena under regular World Snooker rules - though there will be one major difference with the addition of a golden ball.
The golden ball, also known as the Riyadh Season ball, is worth 20 points and can only be potted once all others have been successfully cleared from the table - if a player is on course to make a maximum break of 147.
While speaking with fans online about the golden ball, player Allen wrote on Instagram: "We've been told it's going in the middle of the baulk cushion. It will be removed once a 147 is no longer possible in a frame.
"If moved legally during the frame, it stays where it finishes."
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What are the rounds of the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?
A breakdown of the schedule for the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker can be seen below:
Monday, March 4 - Round 1:
- Ali Carter vs Wildcard 1 - 7pm
- Mark Williams vs Wildcard 2 - 8pm
At the time of writing the wildcards for each match were yet to be confirmed.
Tuesday, March 5 - Quarter-finals:
- Mark Allen vs Mark Selby - 2pm
- Luca Brecel vs Winner Of Match 1 - 3pm
- Judd Trump vs Shaun Murphy - 7pm
- Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Winner Of Match 2 - 8pm
Wednesday, March 6 - Semi-finals:
- Winner Of Match 3 vs Winner Of Match 4 - 2pm
- Winner Of Match 5 vs Winner Of Match 6 - 3pm
Wednesday, March 6 - Final:
- Winner Of Match 7 vs Winner Of Match 8 - 7pm
What is the total prize fund for the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?
The event has a total prize pool of $1million (approximately £789,000).
At the time of writing a breakdown of the prize money on offer has not yet been revealed.
It is also not yet known if there will be an additional bonus for players who pot a golden ball.
Ahead of the tournament, competitor O'Sullivan shared his hopes that some extra cash will be on the line for achieving the feat.
He said: "What's the prize for a 167? Have they announced it?
"I'm sure that it will be a hefty prize. Listen, the Saudis can just do what they like.
"They are a powerful outfit. Every other sport seems to be doing stuff in Saudi, so it will be great to go out there."
Where and when can you watch the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?
Eurosport is offering full coverage of the tournament for viewers in the UK.
The Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker will be broadcast live on Eurosport 1.
Fans can also catch up on the action on discovery+, the Eurosport app and eurosport.com if they are Eurosport subscribers.
Before the competition kicked off Matchroom COO Steve Dawson shared his excitement about the event.
He said: "It is a great privilege for the World Snooker Tour to work in partnership with HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh to stage an event in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
"This is a huge breakthrough for snooker into a new territory, and we see this as the beginning of a new adventure for our sport in the region.
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"We are looking forward to being a part of Riyadh Season on this fantastic new event featuring the world's best players.
"We will be honoured to bring our sport to the amazing city of Riyadh, and for the local fans, this will be their first chance to see some of snooker's all-time greats."