Mark Allen was the joint highest earner by winning the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. The Northern Irishman earned £250,000 after beating Luca Brecel in the final. Allen defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals and the ‘Rocket’ are still waiting for their first title of 2024/25.
Last update: 12/24/21 12:09 AM
Mark Allen wins the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
Mark Allen won the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals to claim his first title of 2024/25 and beating Luca Brecel to claim the £250,000 top prize.
Before his success in Saudi Arabia, Allen’s best results of the campaign were reaching the semi-finals of the British Open, UK Championship, Scottish Open and Champion of Champions.
The Northern Irishman defeated four-time world champion Mark Selby 4-2 in the quarter-finals in Riyadh before returning a day later to defeat seven-time Crucible champion O’Sullivan by the same score. I hit it.
He then recorded his second century and a break of 50 to beat 2023 world champion Brecel 5-1 in the final after losing the first frame, earning him the joint-highest payday of his career.
Allen also won £250,000 after winning the 2022 UK Championship in York.
The Golden Ball remains unpotted throughout the tournament.
At the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, no player won the Golden Ball or $1 million for a break of 167. This can only be seen at competitions held in Saudi Arabia.
Players can only sink the golden ball after completing a regulation 147 break, but the closest player to the maximum was China’s Zhang Anda, who collapsed after 12 reds and blacks on day one.
Champion Allen is now aiming to win the Masters for the second time at Alexandra Palace in January after winning the title in 2018, where he defeated Kyren Wilson in the final.
O’Sullivan is the defending Masters champion, having beaten Ali Carter 10-7 in 2024, but is yet to advance past the semi-finals of the tournament this season.
Masters Snooker 2025 Schedule
The tournament will take place at Alexandra Palace in London from January 12th to 19th.
1 round (up to 11 frames)
Sunday, January 12th
1pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs John Higgins
7pm
Sean Murphy vs Gary Wilson
Monday, January 13th
1pm
Mark Williams vs. Ding Junhui
7pm
Mark Selby vs Ali Carter
Tuesday, January 14
1pm
Jude Trump vs Barry Hawkins
7pm
Mark Allen vs Shi Jiahui
Wednesday, January 15
1pm
Kyren Wilson vs You Zhang
7pm
Luca Bressel vs Chris Wakelin
Quarterfinals (best 11 frames)
O’Sullivan/Higgins v Murphy/G Wilson
Allen/Si v. Selby/Carter
Trump/Hawkins vs Williams/Ding
Bressel/Wakelin vs K Wilson/Jean
The massive heavyweight rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury airs live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday 21 December. Book Usyk v Fury 2 now!
