After a sensational weekend start at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, excitement surrounding the World Snooker Tour’s (WST) new major championship is set to increase even further as the elite top 16 players enter the event.
Live from the Green Halls in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters is the biggest international competition in WST history – welcoming 144 of the world’s best cueists to compete for the prestigious title and vital rankings points.
Following four days of high-quality showdowns since the competition began, the tour’s top 16 ranked players kick off their campaigns on Tuesday. Having qualified for the last 32 automatically, some of the sports’ biggest, most iconic names finally enter the race for Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters glory – to the delight of audiences far and wide.
24 hours out from their highly anticipated first appearances, the stars at the summit of world snooker spoke to local and international media – expressing their excitement about the opportunity to compete in Riyadh.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, the seven-time world champion widely considered the greatest player of all time, spoke of the Saudi Arabian Snooker Masters in glowing terms. He said: “Saudi Arabia has really raised the bar – this is the best event on the Tour. I’ve never seen so many happy snooker players, everyone is excited to be here – we want to compete, play well, and put on a really good show for the Saudi Arabian fans. We’ve already seen a 147 which is fantastic, and the tournament has just begun. All the top players are about to enter the event and hopefully everyone’s going to watch some of the best snooker they could possibly see. The tables, the facilities, the venue that’s been put together; this tournament deserves to watch the best snooker ever seen, it really is that good.”
Confirmed for the next decade, the Saudi Arabian Snooker Masters is part of an exciting legacy commitment between the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport, Saudi Arabian Billiards & Snooker Federation (SABSF), and Matchroom Sport.
With the WST events broadcast in over 200 countries to a global fanbase exceeding 500 million, this commitment underscores a unified ambition to develop snooker across the Kingdom and the wider Middle East.
Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Multi Sport, revealed: “For us, it’s about traveling the globe, developing the sport, and creating new opportunities for international players to compete. This is why Saudi Arabia was such an outstanding candidate to host snooker’s newest major championship. We’re not here for a standalone event; we’re here to inspire the next generation of players and further develop snooker at every level – regionally, nationally and globally.”
Frazer’s sentiments were echoed by Dr. Nasser Al Shamri, President of the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation. While speaking about the Saudi Arabian Snooker Masters’ significance, he pointed out the opportunities in waiting for new generations of local players and fans, adding: “This is a milestone moment for snooker in the Kingdom and one that’s already paving the way for the bright and opportunistic future ahead. Local fans who’ve loved snooker for many years are now guaranteed to watch the world’s best players in a world-class event for the next decade. And in turn, this will inspire new generations who’ll benefit from our local infrastructure, tournaments, and player pathways. We have big ambitions for the future – and we’re already seeing incredible development across the ecosystem.”
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters runs until Saturday, September 7 and presents players with vital world rankings points alongside a record prize pool.
Ex-world champions John Higgins, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Luca Brecel, and Shaun Murphy are amongst the top 16 lining up in Tuesday’s Round 5 matches. World no.1 and 2019 world champion Judd Trump is also in action as are world no.2 Mark Allen and 2024 world champion Kyren Wilson.
Speaking at the press conference, Simon Brownwell, CEO of WST, insisted the involvement of the world’s best players is an essential step towards snooker’s expansion in the Middle East. He said: “We are proud of the way we have developed snooker around the globe over the past 15 years, becoming an international tour of over 20 events and more than 400 million viewers. We see expansion into the Middle East as an exciting step in that journey. Our shared ambition with our partners in Saudi Arabia is to build long term growth. This week’s ground-breaking new event and the presence of the world’s biggest stars will inspire new fans and players.”
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters is part of an incredible year-round schedule of international sports events in the Kingdom with football, F1, boxing, tennis, esports, combat sports, golf, and many more locked in across the 2024 calendar. Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has hosted over 100 international events, welcoming over 2.5 million attendees.
For more information on the Saudi Arabia Snooker Master and to purchase tickets, please visit https://webook.com/en/snooker-masters-2024.
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