Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker: O'Sullivan to compete in Saudi Arabia
THE inaugural Riyadh season of World Masters of Snooker will be the first ever WST event to take place in Saudi Arabia.
A brand new tournament will feature eight of the world's best players and two wildcards.
The top eight stars in the official world rankings at the end of the Players Championship (February 19-25) automatically qualify to participate.
In addition to the best eight stars, two more wild cards will be added to complete the field of ten players.
Luca Brecel will be the top seed after winning the World Snooker Championship last year.
World No. 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan has already confirmed he will take part in the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
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When is the Riyadh World Masters of Snooker season?
- The Riyadh World Masters of Snooker season starts on Monday, March 4.
- The tournament ends on Wednesday, March 6.
What are the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker Rules?
Each game is played according to the rules and regulations of World Snooker.
However, there will be a special new 23rd ball in use, known as the Riyadh Season ball.
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The new ball is worth 20 points and cannot be pocketed until all other balls have been successfully removed from the table if a player is on course to make a maximum break to make 167.
What has been said?
HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh said: “We are thrilled to be hosting our first ever professional snooker tournament in the Kingdom.
“Snooker is watched and played by millions of people around the world and we look forward to welcoming some of the greatest players and snooker fans to our country and showing them what the Saudi Arabia and Riyadh season has to offer.”
Matchroom COO Steve Dawson said: “It is a great privilege for the World Snooker Tour to partner with HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh to host an event in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
“This is a huge breakthrough for snooker in new territory, and we see this as the start of a new adventure for our sport in the region.
“We look forward to being part of the Riyadh season at this fantastic new event with the best players in the world.
“We will be honored to bring our sport to the great city of Riyadh, and for local fans this will be their first chance to see some of snooker's greatest heroes of all time.”