The 2025 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters closing shall be contested between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson in Jeddah on Saturday.
Two of the sport’s heavyweights will duel for the £500,000 prime prize in what’s a blockbuster battle to conclude the week’s motion on the Inexperienced Halls.
There’s all the time loads of anticipation forward of a rating occasion closing, significantly one with such a major champion’s cheque on provide.
However pleasure on this event reached fever ranges on Friday with O’Sullivan producing one other unimaginable second of magic in a profession filled with them.
After seven years with out making any, O’Sullivan spectacularly compiled a brace of 147 breaks throughout his 6-3 semi-final victory over Chris Wakelin.
The Rocket added runs of 142 and 134 in a brutal show of scoring that was harking back to his very best – all only a few months shy of his fiftieth birthday.
O’Sullivan prolonged his document tally of most breaks to 17, setting up the right breaks within the first and seventh frames towards his fellow Englishman.
After years wherein he complained concerning the lack of incentives to make a 147 on the circuit, the seven-time world champion collects greater than £180,000 in bonuses.
It was one other memorable efficiency which reminded everybody that, even following a poor 2024/25 marketing campaign by his requirements, he’s nowhere close to finished but.
Certainly, O’Sullivan appeared very a lot again to close his finest and can owe a debt of gratitude to fellow professional Sunny Akani, who engineered the brand new cue that he has shortly taken a liking to.
The job, after all, isn’t finished fairly but within the Kingdom with the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters closing towards Robertson nonetheless to come back.
The Australian reached the title-deciding affair earlier on Friday with a 6-3 conquer Elliot Slessor.
Robertson wasn’t at his finest however nonetheless contributed a few breaks above 90 to maneuver a win away from the most important payday of his profession.
This time 12 months in the past, the 43 year-old was languishing exterior the world’s prime 16 amid a dismal spell of kind that included him failing to qualify for the 2024 World Championship.
However as all the nice champions handle to do, Robertson has fought his manner again to the highest and this might mark a 3rd piece of silverware within the final yr.
Victory would take the Melbourne man’s carry tally of rating titles to 26, whereas O’Sullivan is bidding for a record-extending forty second at this stage.
O’Sullivan and Robertson have confronted off in quite a few necessary showdowns over time, with this contest representing their thirty fifth on the principle tour.
The previous boasts the head-to-head benefit, however their historical past in finals is tight with O’Sullivan rising victoriously on 4 events to Robertson’s three.
Event organisers and the World Snooker Tour will little question be quietly happy with the 2 protagonists concerned.
Certainly, the one considerably respectable crowd numbers which have been seen within the area this week have been when O’Sullivan has been on the desk, and even then it hasn’t been good.
The event is billed because the fourth main and for the second yr in a row is rewarded with a title-defining battle worthy of such an event.
Whether or not there may be an environment worthy of such an event is uncertain, nevertheless it guarantees to be an enchanting watch from afar both manner.
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters closing takes place over the very best of 19 frames on Saturday, August sixteenth at 11am and 5:30pm UTC+1 (BST).
Featured picture credit score: WST
