After defeating Luca Brecel 5-2 in the final in Riyadh, Ronnie O’Sullivan believes Saudi Arabia ought to be awarded a 10-year contract to host the Masters of Snooker event. After his Belgian opponent missed a big opportunity to tie the match at one set, the ‘Rocket’ capitalized and controlled the next three frames.
As snooker stars travel to Saudi Arabia in search of large salaries, Mark Allen quotes Ronnie O’Sullivan.
The Saudi match ends at three in the morning with Ronnie O’Sullivan’s opponent failing to pot a ball.
As soon as he had raised the trophy in Saudi Arabia, the 48-year-old started pleading with Eddie Hearn, the head of Matchroom, to guarantee that the competition will stay at the same location going forward. When asked if he would want to be back in the Middle East during his post-match interview, O’Sullivan gave a clear answer.
“Hopefully,” he said. These are the competitions you ought to participate in. Excellent competition, large audience, single table, with music playing while playing. I felt as though I had traveled back in time twenty-five years.
Everything seems to be part of a pleasant festivity. You know, it’s Riyadh season; everyone wants to travel to Saudi Arabia. There’s the Formula 1 this weekend, then boxing on Friday night.
O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan raises the trophy he just won. (Photo courtesy of Eurosport)
The folks who organized this tournament are the ones who can bring something new to snooker because Saudi Arabia is such a powerhouse. Tomorrow, there ought to be a 10-year contract.
The seven-time world champion went on to say that he wasn’t the only player having fun, saying, “It’s been an incredible tournament. We haven’t visited the Middle East in much too long—I believe it was 1994. Thus, to play pool again in the Middle East.
“This week has been extremely well-treated for us. Every player had a great time, and both the culture and the hospitality have been amazing. We feel incredibly fortunate to be able to play here.”
At a Saudi snooker event, Judd Trump is facing criticism after making fun of UK snooker fans. Ronnie O’Sullivan’s opponent is furious, saying that the scorers miscalculated the score.
Brecel had the better start to the championship match, but O’Sullivan was at his very best from 2-2 onward, breaking for 121 to take the lead. He proved it by winning the following frame, sealing the deal with a clearance of 124.
The icon received a cheque for £250,000 as a result, and the next time around he was given even more money. Since no player had made the ultimate 167 break—which would have required potting the “golden ball”—organizers promised to increase the bonus prize by doubling to £400,000 for 2025.
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