Ronnie O’Sullivan emerged because the champion of the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker on Wednesday on the Boulevard Area.
Snooker’s first foray into the Saudi Arabian market ended with the sport’s best of all time touchdown one other massive title.
The Rocket beat Judd Trump 4-1 within the semi-finals earlier than preventing again from 2-1 behind to beat Luca Brecel 5-2 within the last.
O’Sullivan pockets £250,000 for his triumph, matching the champion’s cheques he obtained at each the UK Championship and the Masters earlier this season.
Having additionally received the Shanghai Masters and the World Grand Prix, it takes his general tally of silverware to 5 this time period.
That makes him probably the most prolific winner through the 2023/24 snooker season thus far.
“I’m delighted,” Ronnie O’Sullivan advised the World Snooker Tour after beating the world champion with breaks of 124, 121, 95, and 94.
“I got here right here desirous to do properly on this event. It’s the highest gamers on this planet and the primary time coming to Saudi Arabia.”
“They’re placing on some improbable occasions over right here, so simply to be part of it was nice. However to win it’s just like the icing on the cake.
“I performed rather well towards John [Higgins], that’s most likely certainly one of my greatest performances. I struggled a bit towards Judd, I didn’t discover my timing and stuff like that.
“However then I performed a bit higher in the present day within the last, so hopefully there’s a little bit of some type coming again.
“[The fans] are so passionate, I’m so excited to see it. I like the tradition, I got here right here and I slot in right here completely.
“They’re very relaxed, take life at a pleasant leisurely tempo. The work nonetheless will get finished, and it’s simply laid again. That fits my character rather well.
“The followers have been improbable – chanting mine and Luca’s identify on the finish there. It’s nice, and I can’t wait to return again.
“It didn’t trouble me enjoying at 3am within the morning. I believed that’s the Center Japanese means, that’s the Saudi means.
“You simply should embrace it and throw your self all into it. I felt a bit bit drained in the present day, however I had a few hours through the day so I used to be alright.
“I believe they love the sport and benefit from the recreation. I believe they’re on about attempting to open some academies and get some good coaches over right here.
“Try to get lots of these children enjoying the sport. You by no means know, you possibly can have a Saudi world champion in 20 years time.”
O’Sullivan compiled six centuries within the competitors however was unable to land the mega jackpot bonus for developing a 167 break.
The brand new 20-point golden ball, which may solely be performed on the finish of a 147 break, was by no means potted.
John Higgins got here the closest to reaching the feat throughout his preliminary-round contest with Mark Williams however missed the yellow whereas on 120.
Turki Al-Sheikh, the Saudi Arabian chairman of Basic Authority for Leisure, promised the bonus could be doubled from $500,000 to $1 million for the following version of the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
Snooker will return to Riyadh this summer season, in the meantime, for the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Dubbed the “fourth main” and boasting a profitable prize fund value greater than £2 million, the event will likely be a rating occasion open to all members of the World Snooker Tour.
World Masters of Snooker draw
Final 12 (bo7)
Ding Junhui 4-0 Omar Alajlani
John Higgins 4-0 Ali Alobaidli
Final 10 (bo7)
Ali Carter 4-3 Ding Junhui
Mark Williams 2-4 John Higgins
Quarter-Finals (bo7)
Luca Brecel 4-1 Ali Carter
Mark Allen 4-3 Mark Selby
Judd Trump 4-3 Shaun Murphy
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-0 John Higgins
Semi-Finals (bo7)
Luca Brecel 4-2 Mark Allen
Judd Trump 1-4 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Last (bo9)
Luca Brecel 2-5 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Featured photograph credit score: WST