World number one Judd Trump summoned a stunning fightback to defeat China’s Wu Yize 5-4 from 4-0 behind at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
The Ace in the Pack surpassed Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen as world number one by reaching the final of the recent Xi’an Grand Prix. However, with a £500,000 top prize on the line this week, Kyren Wilson, Luca Brecel and Ronnie O’Sullivan can potentially surpass the Englishman.
Trump has been in blistering form so far during this campaign, having won the Shanghai Masters in addition to his run to the Xi’an title match. However, he had looked set for a shock exit today when he trailed 20-year-old Wu 4-0.
However, at that point 2019 World Champion Trump summoned a ruthless blitz to turn the game on its head. Breaks of 56, 101, 61, 89 and 55 gave him five consecutive frames to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It books him a last 16 tie with close friend Jack Lisowski, who beat Jak Jones 5-3.
“When it went to 4-2, I started to really believe in myself again. I played a faultless three or four frames and he didn’t have many chances. It was just about trying to get in first and keep him cold every frame,” said 35-year-old Trump.
“I knew he wasn’t going to give it to me. I had to really go out and turn the match around. After the interval it clicked a little bit. I started to score made a century and fount a bit of inspiration. I felt energy from the crowd and it spurred me on.
“I think it helps having my brother (Jack) here. I feel a sense of responsibility to try my best for him as well. I don’t want him to be sat backstage knowing that I’m giving it away. He has obviously made the effort to come here. I always give it 100 percent. In this tournament, with the expectation of how I’ve played so far to start the season it was nice to turn things around and get the win.”
Although Trump survived, the top 16 players were toppled in five of this afternoon’s eight games.
Xiao Guodong put on a hugely impressive display to thrash world number two Mark Allen 5-1, while Scott Donaldson was a 5-1 victor against Barry Hawkins. They now face each other in the last 16.
However, 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy put on a strong performance to secure a 5-2 win over Yuan Sijun. He now faces Elliot Slessor, who scored a shock 5-3 win over Ali Carter.
Murphy said: “I’m delighted with that. It is a massive tournament. You have a privilege as a top 16 player to come in at this stage and it would have been a shame to waste that. You are on a hiding to nothing in though as if you win you are supposed to and if you lose it is a massive shock. I have nothing but admiration for Yuan, I think he is a fine young player.
“There is no getting away from it. The financial pressures are there and there are very few players competing today where this sort of money doesn’t matter to them. I’m certainly not one of them. I think there is also the pressure of being expected to win though.”
Neil Robertson continued his resurgence with a 5-3 win over Mark Selby. He now plays Scottish and Welsh Open Champion Gary Wilson, who beat David Gilbert 5-2.
Ronnie O’Sullivan got his campaign underway at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters with a 5-1 demolition of China’s Lei Peifan.
A day of shocks has seen nine of the top 16 seeds fall at their first hurdle. However, it was a straightforward evening’s work for the Rocket, who eased to victory with breaks of 59, 103, 93 and 131 during the win.
Next up for the 41-time ranking event winner is a last 16 meeting with Zhang Anda, who produced a stunning display to beat Ben Woollaston 5-0.
The Chinese cueman crafted three runs of 138, a 128 break and a 50 on his way to an emphatic win. He only conceded 15 points during the match.
O’Sullivan stated that he wasn’t shocked by the number of top 16 players to bow out today. However, he was glowing with praise for the snooker experience in Riyadh.
“It’s an amazing event and the venue is great. It is fantastic to be a part of this tournament,” said seven-time World Champion O’Sullivan.
“I’m not surprised by any results these days. On their day, anyone can play well and score heavily. The players that have come through and had a few matches are probably more used to the table conditions. If they get a quick start then the seeds are under pressure. The guys coming through are so good that if they have a lead they can close the match out.”
World Champion Kyren Wilson kept in the hunt for his second piece of silverware this season with a 5-3 win over Liu Hongyu.
After claiming maiden Crucible glory in May, Wilson got his new season off to a rocky start when he suffered a 6-0 whitewash defeat against Zhou Yuelong at the Shanghai Masters.
However, the Warrior bounced back in style at last month’s Xi’an Grand Prix, beating Judd Trump in the final to secure his seventh ranking title. He now faces English compatriot Jimmy Robertson in the last 16.
“Winning my first event as World Champion has taken a lot of the pressure off me for the majority of the season,” said 32-year-old Wilson.
“It has been crazy. The two events I’ve won this year have been the biggest on my CV in terms of prize money. I’m really enjoying my snooker and really enjoying seeing new territories. Long may it continue.”
(Jimmy) Robertson scored his third consecutive victory over four-time World Champion John Higgins, registering a magnificent 5-2 win to reach the last 16.
Mark Williams summoned his best snooker at the crucial moment, as he scored a 5-4 win over Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. The Welshman crafted a match winning 101 in the decider to clinch victory and a last 16 meeting with Stuart Bingham.
Essex cueman Bingham edged a thrilling encounter with Ding Junhui 5-4, which had an incredible ending. Ding had the first chance in the final frame, but his break ended when his tip came off and hit a red. Bingham stepped up and made 63 to win the match.
Si Jiahui beat Tom Ford 5-2, while Pang Junxu defeated Luca Brecel by the same scoreline. The Chinese pair will do battle in the last 16.
The fact that nine of the sixteen “top seeds” went out yesterday just shows, once again, that the tiered system is actually helping the lower ranked players. Yes, they have to win more matches, but hey start with easier matches, and when they come against the top seeds, they have already secured some money and ranking points. They are already used to the conditions. The pressure is firmly on the seeds … and it showed. And for the younger players, having the opportunity to play more matches is helping their development as they gain experience.
Here are the scores for Ronnie’s match:
And some images shared by WST (including on Weibo)
As well as some videos shared on YouTube by Eurosport
The only match I watched in the afternoon, was Mark Selby v Neil Robertson. Neil Robertson is playing well again but I also had the feeling throughout that Mark Selby isn’t in a good place mentally at the moment.
Today is the day the last 16 players start their campaign. They met the media, with Judd and Ronnie taking part in the press conference “panel”. Here are some pictures…
Why Ronnie is dressed like a local, I’m not sure. I find it a bit silly but then, maybe, this was offered to him by a sponsor or some powerful/rich local and he felt compelled to don it. Anyway…
As for what happened at the tables, here are the reports by WST:
Ben Woollaston said he hopes the worst of his recent health battles are behind him, after making the last 32 of the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters with a hard fought 5-3 win over Iranian number one Hossein Vafaei.
The former Welsh Open finalist has been battling with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since 2021. These struggles have impacted on his day to day life and ability to practise. However, he is beginning to up his work rate after turning a corner.
That appears to have paid dividends after a fine run this week, which has also seen him score wins over Oliver Lines and Joe Perry.
Breaks of 75 and 61 gave Vafaei the first two frames this afternoon. However, Woollaston turned on the style to hammer home breaks of 71, 133 and 57 to take three on the bounce and lead 3-2. Vafaei restored parity by taking the sixth, but the next two frames went the way of Woolaston to secure him victory and a last 32 clash with Zhang Anda.
“I think Hossein is basically a top 16 player anyway. He is definitely one of the hardest players to face outside of the top 16. It is a great win for me,” said 37-year-old Woollaston.
“It is basically like being at the Crucible now, with the way the prize money is. With it being best of nine, I think it is more open as well.
“I practise a lot more now. From about New Year onwards, I’ve started practising more or less like I used to. I hadn’t done that for about three years. I still have bad moments, but it doesn’t last as long. I was telling myself in that match that one hour I can feel terrible and the next I can feel alright. Before it lasted for days and weeks. I hope I’m getting there.
“I’m not just saying this because I’ve won, but this tournament has been better than any of the overseas events I’ve been to. The tables are great, backstage is brilliant. It is a great country to eat in and everything is a lot easier. You feel a lot more home comforts.”
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh narrowly avoided making a piece of unwanted history in his 5-4 win over Chris Wakelin.
Despite crafting a 78 break in the sixth, Un-Nooh went on to lose the frame and move to the verge of defeat at 4-2 down. That was two shy of the highest break ever to lose a frame, set at 80 by Neal Foulds against Willie Thorne in the 1989 English Professional Championship.
From there Un-Nooh upped the ante and three on the bounce to seal a dramatic win. He now faces a mouth watering last 32 clash with Mark Williams.
Englishman Jimmy Robertson stormed to a 5-0 whitewash win over Malaysia’s Rory Thor. Former European Masters champion Robertson top scored with 92 and will now face Scotland’s four-time World Champion John Higgins.
Si Jiahui earned his passage through with a 5-0 demolition of 2006 World Champion Graeme Dott. Si made breaks of 102, 75 and 82 during the quick fire win and will play Tom Ford in the last 32.
Stuart Bingham battled to a 5-3 defeat of Anthony Hamilton and will now play Ding Junhui, while Lei Peifan scored a 5-2 defeat of Joe O’Connor to set up a showdown with Ronnie O’Sullivan.
David Gilbert battled past Jordan Brown 5-3 to continue his fine run of form and make the last 32 of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh.
Having struggled with his form for a number of years, he returned to his brilliant best with a run to the semi-finals of the World Championship to end last season, which included wins over defending champion Luca Brecel and Stephen Maguire.
A regimental approach to practising and fitness away from the baize, guided by former professional Andy Lee, helped Gilbert to recapture his love for the game ahead of the Crucible back in May. So far this season he has only lost in one of his 13 matches.
With this evening’s tie finely poised at 4-3, Gilbert fired in a sublime 124 to get over the line. That seals him a last 32 clash with Scottish Open and Welsh Open champion Gary Wilson.
“It is a huge tournament. I just want to get some wins on the board. It was a really tough match tonight and I’m very pleased to finish it off well in the end,” said world number 20 Gilbert.
“I just basically didn’t play for a couple of years. Andy turned up in March and got me practising and thinking better. It has helped me tremendously. I’m just trying to carry that on.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for all the players on the tour to get some pounds and points on the board. I’m sure I speak for everybody when I say we are very grateful for this event. The conditions and how we have been treated has been fantastic.”
Neil Robertson defeated Chinese teenager Gong Chenzhi 5-1 to book a blockbuster last 32 meeting with Mark Selby.
The Thunder from Down Under is aiming to return to top form after a difficult 23/24 season which saw him slide to 27th in the world rankings.
Defeat ends a fine run 2024 WSF Junior Championship runner up Gong, who won three matches to reach this stage.
Robertson fired in breaks of 72, 103 and 94 on his way to a comprehensive victory. The Australian was pleased with how he coped with the unknown, having never played Gong and excited for his upcoming encounter with Selby.
Robertson said: “It is very hard to come up with a strategy. I was saying to Joe Perry earlier today that I’ve never seen him before. I hadn’t ever seen him play. Joe said he was very raw and very aggressive. We came up with the idea of keeping things tight early on to see if he could deal with safety play. His best chance was to pot freak balls to get in but the inexperience told at the end.
“If people haven’t tuned into snooker for the last few years, they will probably think this next match is a semi-final! It is always good playing Mark. He brings the best out of me a lot of the time. It is strange playing him at this stage, but you’d rather be the player with the ranking points secure and the matches under the belt. Hopefully that comes to my advantage.”
Jack Lisowski made two century runs of 103 on his way to beating Martin O’Donnell 5-2. He now plays Crucible runner-up Jak Jones.
China’s Wu Yize beat Stephen Maguire 5-4 in a tense final frame and now faces world number one Judd Trump.
Yuan Sijun beat yesterday’s maximum man Noppon Saengkham 5-4, while Scott Donaldson beat Ryan Day 5-2. They play Shaun Murphy and Barry Hawkins respectively in tomorrow’s last 32.
I can’t really comment on the matches as I saw next to nothing of it yesterday. Life coming in the way of snooker … Looking at the draw though, I can’t help to notice that 7 of the 16 players who emerged from the “tiered phase” are Chinese, and six of them are under 25 years old. One of the most common excuses used by Brits to justify the current UK centric organisation of the sport is “We are the majority and we have the best juniors… “. Really? Show me where they are. What I have seen this week from “interesting” juniors was mainly Chinese and mainland European. There are interesting UK juniors of cours, notably Robbie McGuigan, Paul Deaville and Liam Davies.
Now … if Ronnie in a “cheik” attire was silly, what about this ???
CORRECTED PRESENTATION OF THE DRAW FOR THE SAUDI ARABIA SNOOKER MASTERS 2024
The draw for this week’s Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters has been amended as the original presentation of the draw was incorrect.
In the original presentation of the draw, seed number 1 was drawn to play against the winner of match number 97 which would be the group of players where the lowest seed number is 17. This is not as we had intended because seed number 1 should play against the group of players where the lowest seed number is 32.
The presentation of the draw was inconsistent with our intention, therefore it has now been corrected. This amendment has no impact on the Last 48 round which takes place today (Monday). It only has an effect from the last 32, which takes place on Tuesday.
This information has been communicated to our players.
We, at snooker.org, had been scratching our heads from the day that draw was out. We knew it was faulty at first glance. Also, the way this is “presented” is trying to “mislead” readers. This wasn’t a problem of “presentation”, this was a mistake and a huge one! Mistakes happen, we all make them, but, at least be honest, admit to it. This was a huge blunder. Full stop.
Iranian number one Hossein Vafaei claimed four on the bounce to see off India’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha 4-1 and make round four of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Former Shoot Out champion Vafaei reached semi-finals last season at the UK Championship and the British Open, but is aiming to go further during this campaign and secure his first ever victory in a full format ranking event.
The 29-year-old got off to a shaky start this afternoon when a loose safety during a black ball fight gave Singh Chadha the opener. However, Vafaei made breaks of 50 and 97 during a burst of four consecutive frames to secure a comfortable victory. Afterwards, he expressed his delight at competing in an event closer to home.
“Everything is nice and everything is organised. It couldn’t be better than that. I would like to say thanks to all of the organisers who support us and make this tournament happen. We are happy to have the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in our calendar and this is a proud moment for me. I am proud that something really big has happened for the Middle East,” said world number 21 Vafaei.
“When I see the younger generation, they are coming and taking pictures. They are saying they want to be like me. That is really nice. You can see how far snooker is going in the Middle East and that the young people want to start playing. That is very rare in these days. People only want to play on the Playstation, they don’t want to worry about anything. When they say they want to play snooker that makes me happy.”
Joe O’Connor rallied from 3-1 down to beat fellow Leicester cueman Louis Heathcote 4-3. O’Connor scored a massive upset win over Mark Selby at the Crucible to finish last season, but so far this term he’s already suffered two first round exits. That was remedied by today’s comeback win, which sees him a meeting with Lei Peifan in round four.
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh claimed a 4-1 victory to end Latvian teenager Artemijs Zizins’ spirited run. Quickfire Thai Un-Nooh crafted runs of 57, 61 and 65 during the match and now plays Chris Wakelin, who beat tour rookie Robbie McGuigan 4-2.
England’s 2015 World Champion Stuart Bingham defeated Xing Zihao 4-2, while Malaysia’s Rory Thor scored a shock 4-3 win over Robert Milkins.
Australia’s 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson scored an important 4-1 win over English amateur Paul Deaville to get his campaign underway at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh.
The Thunder from Down Under had one of his worst seasons as a professional in 23/24, slumping to 27th position in the world rankings. However, he is determined to mount a resurgence this season after practising throughout the summer period.
Robertson top scored with 66 during today’s victory, which sees him book a fourth round meeting with China’s Gong Chenzhi. After this evening’s tie Robertson stated he’s confident that the work he has been putting in will pay off.
“In my experience you never know when the big wins might be around the corner. In my career when I’ve had a big win, soon after a sequence of titles have headed my way. I’ve been working hard, practising well and enjoying the game. That is the important thing. I’ve been happy in life. It is fair to say that last year I wasn’t enjoying the game,” said 23-time ranking event winner Robertson.
“Last season I wasn’t enjoying going to tournaments. This year it is the complete opposite. I’m much more positive and I can’t be playing any better than I am. It has been going incredibly well when I’ve been practising. It is just about being patient, playing the right shots, keeping my cool and I’m sure I will get back to where I think I should be in the game.
“For me this is a 10/10 tournament. The playing conditions are great, practice facilities are incredible, the hotels are great. It is just brilliant. This is my first time here, I didn’t know what it was going to be like. To see it is incredible. You want to stick around for as long as possible.”
Noppon Saengkham made the first maximum break of the season during his 4-1 win over Amir Sarkhosh. The contribution puts him in line for a bumper £50,000 payout. After the match, the Thai admitted he was eyeing up the perfect break early on.
Saengkham said: “When I potted the first red, I tried to make a maximum. I knew that this was a big event with big money. I asked myself after the first red to try and make a maximum. I went for it and I did it.”
Jack Lisowski dug deep to keep his campaign alive after a 4-3 win over Welshman Andrew Pagett. The six-time ranking event finalist claimed a 35-minute decider on the pink to seal his progression. Next up he faces Martin O’Donnell.
Former British Open winner Ryan Day overcame Stan Moody 4-2, while Lyu Haotian edged a 4-3 thriller with Marco Fu.
Here is Noppon’s 147, shared by WST on their Youtube channel
One thing is for sure about this tournament so far … all the players are delighted with the venue, the practice facilities, the hotel and the way they are looked after. Yesterday the stream played correctly, although the background noise remains annoying.
The twenty years old Liu Hongyu is in his second year as a pro and yesterday took a good step towards keeping his pro status by beating Ricky Walden. This tournament is big money and getting some of that at the start of the season is very important and allows the player to relax a bit, which helps as well.
Matthew Selt had his cue broken during his flight to Saudi Arabia. Although he apparently had or found a “spare” cue, he got the damaged equipment “glued” back together by a local artisan and decided to play with it … a win yesterday vindicated that daring move! 😂
Stephen Maguire completely demolished Ben Mertens yesterday evening (4-0). Ben didn’t play well at all and Mags did. Maguire is a big man with big hands … but he’s no brute at the table. More than anything he’s a “touch player”. I always enjoy watching him… even yesterday when he beat a player I support.
Antek Kowalski was reminded by Wu Yize that he has still work to do before thinking about giving Ronnie a good hiding as he was beaten by 4-0 although, to be fair, all frames were extremely close.
WST is making a big deal about Neil Robertson beating… the only amateur left in the draw. Today he will face the 17 years old Gong Chenzhi, who beat Jackson Page by 4-2 yesterday. Let’s see how that goes.
Bulcsú Revész lost to Jordan Brown by 4-3 … from 3-0 up. Fatigue was a factor maybe? After all it was already late, the lad is only 17, he’s won two matches before this one in the two previous days, by 4-2 and 4-3 respectively.
Again the last match finished past 2:30 in the morning. That’s not good, not fair on the players and not great for the spectators. Why ??? Someone suggested that maybe, this is done to accommodate the UK viewers. If thats indeed the case, it’s a disgrace. Everyone else has/had to deal with the “UK time zone” and the constraints may generate for most events … for many, many years. Surely the Brits can adapt a bit? The players should come first when it comes to setting the schedule.
Latvia’s first ever professional Artemijs Zizins sealed the biggest win of his fledgling career, defeating China’s Xu Si 4-3 to reach the third round of the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Zizins was given a bye through yesterday’s first round, after his opponent Kok Leong Lim didn’t show up. The 18-year-old displayed a steeliness beyond his age today when he found himself on the ropes at 3-2 down.
A run of 71 took the match to a final frame, before Zizins made a tremendous break of 137 to clinch victory.
It’s the first time Zizins has made the third round of a ranking event, having turned professional at the start of the season. He successfully ran the gauntlet at Q School to clinch a maiden tour card. Next up this week the teenager faces fascinating clash with Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
Jimmy White continued to roll back the years with a 4-1 defeat of Andrew Higginson. The 62-year-old safely negotiated round one with a 4-2 win over the UAE’s Mohamed Shehab and today’s win now sees White earn a third round meeting with Si Jiahui.
White said: “I do know how to win. You have to get on a run and you have to win a couple of matches. Andrew Higginson is a really tough player. I was pleased. There were a couple of small errors and negative thoughts. Other than that it was a good day’s work.”
Former German Masters winner Anthony Hamilton ended the run of 2022 Women’s World Champion Mink Nutcharut with a marathon 4-2 victory. Afterwards Hamilton admitted he would have to up his levels to get through his next match against Jamie Jones.
Hamilton said: “If I improve I can win. I’ve given myself a chance to improve, earn some money, have a good run and enjoy myself. That is all I can ask for.”
Graeme Dott scored a significant 4-3 win over Belgium’s Julien Leclercq. The 2006 World Champion now progresses straight through to round four after Sam Craigie withdrew from the event.
Northern Irish rookie Robbie McGuigan battled hard to secure his second successive deciding frame victory, beating China’s Ma Hailong 4-3.
McGuigan narrowly overcame Saudi home favourite Abdulraouf Saigh in a final frame yesterday and this afternoon’s match was clinched with a nerveless break of 90 in the last. He now faces former Shoot Out winner Chris Wakelin.
Elsewhere Liu Hongyu was a 4-2 winner over Michael Holt, while Jimmy Robertson beat Egyptian wildcard Mohamed Elkhayat 4-2.
Polish 20-year-old Antoni Kowalski claimed that snooker’s new generation is ready to take over, after scoring a whitewash 4-0 win over He Guoqiang on day two of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
The tour rookie earned a maiden spell on the circuit after coming through Q School earlier this year. That came after he had already narrowly missed out on a tour card following defeat to Liam Davies in the 2024 European Under-21 final. He’s only the third ever Polish professional.
Today’s impressive victory saw Kowalski fire in breaks of 51 and 76 to secure a third round tie against Wu Yize. Afterwards, he expressed his excitement to be competing alongside a legion of talented young professionals.
“We will be trying to set records. I think this is the time that the new generation comes up to kick out Ronnie and other players. Ronnie has to end sometime, he is already in his late 40s. We will try our best for sure,” said Kowalski.
“I am delighted to have played on the TV table finally. I’ve played on it once before, but that was during Covid so nobody was watching. It was perfect today and I’d like to play that way every single day. That is when I play my best snooker.”
Hungarian 17-year-old rookie Bulcsu Revesz also scored a huge victory after beating the experienced Mark Davis 4-3. Breaks of 51 and 84 helped Revesz through to a meeting with former Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown.
Hong Kong’s three-time ranking event winner Marco Fu was a 4-0 whitewash victor against Liam Davies. The 46-year-old top scored with 123 and now faces Lyu Haotian.
Welshman Andrew Pagett prevailed 4-3 in a tense encounter with Swiss number one Alexander Ursenbacher, winning the last two frames to progress. Pagett now faces six-time ranking event finalist Jack Lisowski.
The last match finished past 2:30 am this morning, and 6 others past 1:45 am . This is ridiculous. Needles to say they aren’t reported on even is Stan Moody won one of those … I can’t comment on them either. I saw nothing of the evening action as I was having other commitments.
It was an interesting day for sure but one that was marred by the absolutely awful quality of the broadcasting. Streams were start/stop and totally psychedelic. It was extremely painful to watch.
If I’m no mistaken, Paul Deaville is the only amateur left in the draw. Yesterday he beat the vastly experienced Ian Burns by 4-0, but all frames but one appear to have been very close. He will now face Neil Robertson.
In general the European youngsters have impressed. Yesterday, a person who has been following snooker closely for many, many years reflected that they have more flair than the young Brits. I have to agree. Zizins in particular impressed me. Julien Leclercq lost by 4-3 to Graeme Dott in a match that was very much “one visit snooker”. The first in with a reasonable chance cleared the table basically. The shrewd Dotty knew how to bait the very agressive Julien into taking one risky shot too many. Ben Mertens whitewashed Long Zehuang but other than the first frame he won with a 127, every frame was close. Bulcsú Révész’s “decider” win over Mark Davis is particularly impressive: between they had five breaks over 50, three by “Dark Mavis” (one in every frame he won) and two by Bulcsú.
We have some very intriguing matches in prospect today. Other than those mentioned in the above report, Jackson Page v Gong Chenzhi and Ben Mertens v Stephen Maguire will get my attention… IF the streams are watchable at all today! My eyes still hurt…
Ronnie O'Sullivan 