Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker: Draw, schedule, betting odds, results, live Eurosport TV coverage for the lucrative invitational
The full draw, schedule and results from the 2024 Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, which takes place at from March 4-6.
Saudi Arabia’s inaugural event features the world’s top eight players, two wild cards, plus late additions John Higgins and Ding Junhui who will battle it out over three days at Boulevard City in Riyad for a total prize pot of £788,000.
The tournament will also feature a new Golden Ball worth an additional 20 points if a player makes a maximum break - taking the maximum break to 167. Said player would earn $500,000 were they to pot it.
This ball will be on the table, pinned to the baulk cushion in line with the brown, blue, pink and black balls. Should a player hit it before hitting the object ball, a foul will be called at the cost of four points. Note that as soon as a 147 is no longer possible, the ball is removed by the referee.
Draw and round-by-round results
FIRST ROUND
- Ding Junhui 4-0 Omar Alajlani
- John Higgins 4-0 Ali Alobaidli
SECOND ROUND
- Ali Carter 4-3 Ding Junhui
- Mark Williams 2-4 John Higgins
QUARTER-FINALS
- Mark Allen 4-3 Mark Selby
- Luca Brecel 4-1 Ali Carter
- Judd Trump 4-3 Shaun Murphy
- Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-0 John Higgins
Daily schedule & results
MONDAY MARCH 4
First round (best-of-seven frames)
- Ding Junhui 4-0 Omar Alajlani (1400 GMT)
- John Higgins 4-0 Ali Alobaidli (1500 GMT)
Second round (best-of-seven frames)
- Ali Carter 4-3 Ding Junhui (1900 GMT)
- Mark Williams 2-4 John Higgins (2000 GMT)
TUESDAY MARCH 5
Quarter-finals (best-of-seven frames)
- Mark Allen 4-3 Mark Selby (1400 GMT)
- Luca Brecel 4-1 Ali Carter (1500 GMT)
- Judd Trump 4-3 Shaun Murphy (1900 GMT)
- Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-0 John Higgins (2000 GMT)
WEDNESDAY MARCH 5
Semi-Finals (best-of-seven frames)
- Luca Brecel v Mark Allen (1400 GMT)
- Judd Trump v Ronnie O'Sullivan (1600 GMT)
Final (best-of-nine frames)
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2 (1900 GMT)
Neal Foulds verdict
Snooker enters a new dawn next week, with the Riyadh Masters featuring some of the biggest names in the sport, eight of them to be precise along with two wildcards, all battling it out a for a huge first prize of £250,000.
With such good money on offer in Riyadh, where the final must surely be the most valuable best-of-nine frames snooker match ever played, expect Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump to be back on song and chomping at the bit.
On that final, I certainly can’t recall another match in this format being worth so much to the winner, so do get in touch if I’ve missed one.
It's clear the players are really keen to embrace this new investment in the sport, which to be frank, is needed. Next week will offer big money to the biggest stars who are probably doing very well anyway, but when next season comes around and we have a 128-man ranking event which we are expecting to have another big purse, that’s when some of those trying to make the game pay lower down the rankings will have a real chance to earn that big pay day. I know those players are relieved to have that opportunity.
More immediately, I’ll be working on Eurosport next week as we once again cover all the action from Riyadh live. That’ll be a first, and so could snooker’s first ever 167 maximum break, if the stars align and the new Golden Ball is potted at the end of any maximum.
It might seem like a gimmick at this stage, and I’m not sure if it will catch on, but by all accounts we are expecting a very big prize to be offered for anyone able to do it. We’ve had instances in the past where Ronnie has turned down making a maximum break in protest at what he has seen as poor reward – that most certainly won’t be the case next week.
Format
- All rounds until the final - best-of-seven frames
- Final - best-of-nine frames
How can I watch the event on television?
The action will be broadcast live on Eurosport in the UK.
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