Saudi Arabia Masters 2024: Predictions and Betting Odds
Who will take an Arabian prize fund?
From August 30th to September 7th, the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters tournament will be held in Riyadh with a prize fund of £2 million. This is the second largest prize fund after the World Championship, and the winner will add £500,000 to their bank and ranking accounts. Naturally, all players will strive to go as far as possible, as there are very few such tournaments on the calendar, and organisers hope that the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will become the fourth tournament of the "Triple Crown" alongside the World Championship, UK Championship, and the Masters.
Who will win the Saudi Arabia Masters
Saudi Arabia Masters History
Last season in Riyadh, the World Masters of Snooker took place as the first professional tournament in Saudi Arabia, where Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Luca Brecel 5-2 in the final. Notably, the organisers introduced an additional ball worth 20 points, allowing a maximum break of 167 points instead of 147, but none of the players came close to achieving the maximum.
The event was an invitational with only 10 participants, and Ronnie O’Sullivan only received a substantial check without ranking points. This time, the tournament structure is entirely different, mirroring the World Championship format – 128 players will undergo step-by-step qualification, with the top 16 players advancing to the final stage, where the best 16 Main Tour players await them. Qualification matches begin on August 30th, and the top 16 players will start their matches on September 3rd. The first three rounds will be best of seven, the fourth and fifth rounds best of nine, the following rounds up to the final best of eleven, and the final will be best of nineteen.
This will be just the third tournament of the season, excluding the warm-up Championship League. In Shanghai, Judd Trump claimed victory by defeating Shaun Murphy 11-5, while in the Grand Prix final, Kyren Wilson defeated Judd Trump 10-8. Among the favourites are the same players who have significantly performed in the early months of the new season – Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, and Kyren Wilson.
2024 Saudi Arabia Masters Favourites
Judd Trump has a favourable draw; if he wins his first match, he might face Jak Jones or another qualifier, followed by Gary Wilson and Mark Selby, who isn't in the best form. So the road to the semifinals seems achievable for Trump.
The same can be said for Ronnie O’Sullivan, whose form is far from ideal, but if he takes the tournament seriously and aims to deliver his best game, he could reach the final. Along the way, Ronnie will face players he usually defeats easily – Zhang Anda, Tom Ford, Luca Brecel, and only in the semifinals will he meet a serious opponent, most likely Kyren Wilson, John Higgins, Ding Junhui, or Mark Williams.
Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy have slightly worse chances but more difficult draws; however, it's quite possible we'll see Shaun Murphy or Mark Allen in the semifinals.
Chances of the underdogs to win
One shouldn't overlook Neil Robertson, who had a disappointing last season. Neil has already accumulated more ranking points this season than the entire previous one and is poised to return to the top 16. For the Australian to qualify for the main draw, he needs to defeat Ian Burns and Jackson Page – a more than achievable task for Neil.
Saudi Arabia Masters Games Betting Odds
There are interesting odds in the first round involving sixteen participants who received wild cards. These are amateurs from Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries. The level of snooker in these countries isn't very high, so alongside local tournament winners, experienced and promising young players have been invited. Therefore, it makes sense to bet on several matches where the score will likely be 4-0. For example, these:
England
Ireland
Italy
France
Israel
Belgium
Makedonia
Faroe Islands
Latvia
Armenia
