orazraf irentah estebe
Magdalena Liendo
There were three maximum breaks achieved during the tournament, by Kyren Wilson in Group 3, by John Higgins in Group 5, and by Joe O'Connor in Group 7. This is only the third time that three maximums have been made in an event, the first being at the 2012 UK Championship, and the second at the 2017 German Masters.
A total of 25 players were initially invited to the event, with the matches played behind closed doors without an audience. Players earned prize money for every frame won, as well as being semi-finalists, runner-up, and winner of each group, with more money involved in the Winners' Group. Since 2010, all matches were played as the best of five frames.
The tournament was played in a round-robin format, consisted of eight groups of seven players. The top four players in each group qualified for a play-off, with the winner entering the Winners' Group. The bottom two players in each group were eliminated, and the remaining four moved to the next group, where they were joined by three more players. This format was played for each group, from one to seven. In each group, the players were ranked by the number of matches won, then by most frames won, and then by least frames lost. If two players were tied by these criteria, the player who won the match between them was ranked higher in the table. The group play-off semi-finals were contested between the 1st and 4th place players in the table, and between the 2nd and 3rd place players in the table. The Winners' Group was played at the end, and its play-off winner became champion of the tournament.[4][5]
Groups 1 and 2 were played from 2 to 5 January. Groups 3, 4, and 5 were played from 5 to 10 February. Groups 6 and 7 were played from 26 to 29 February, and the Winners' Group was played on 12 and 13 March. The champion takes a place in the Champion of Champions.[5][14]
The event was broadcast by DAZN in Germany, Spain, the United States and Brazil; Fox Sports in Australia; Nova in Czechia and Slovakia; Premier in the Philippines; Rigour Media in China; Viaplay in the Baltics, Iceland and the Netherlands; Viasat in Scandinavia; and by Matchroom.live in all other territories. It was also streamed live on the Matchroom-Multi-Sport YouTube channel.[15]
There were a number of players who were originally invited to participate, who withdrew and were replaced by others. Most notable among these were Mark Allen, Zhang Anda, Zhou Yuelong, Hossein Vafaei, Jack Lisowski, Judd Trump, and Si Jiahui. There were other changes as players moved between groups, as noted in the group sections below.[13]
Group 1 was played on 2 and 3 January 2024.[16] There were 19 century breaks[17] made in Group 1, the highest being 140 made by both Chris Wakelin and Kyren Wilson.[18] Stuart Bingham won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.[19]
Group 2 was played on 4 and 5 January 2024.[20] There were 17 century breaks[17] made in Group 2, the highest being 142 made by Ali Carter.[18] Chris Wakelin won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.[21]
Group 3 was played on 5 and 6 February 2024.[22] There were 26 century breaks[17] made in Group 3, the highest being 147 made by Kyren Wilson in his league match against Tom Ford, the fifth maximum break of his career.[23][18] Mark Selby won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.[24]
Group 4 was played on 7 and 8 February 2024.[25] There were 18 century breaks[17] made in Group 4, the highest being 143 made by John Higgins.[18] Neil Robertson won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.[26]
Group 5 was played on 9 and 10 February 2024.[27] There were 19 century breaks[17] made in Group 5, the highest being 147 made by John Higgins in his semi-final match against Fan Zhengyi, the 13th maximum break of his career.[28][18] Higgins won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.[29]
Group 6 was played on 26 and 27 February 2024.[30] There were 15 century breaks[17] made in Group 6, the highest being 142 made by Ricky Walden.[18] Kyren Wilson won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.[31]
Group 7 was played on 28 and 29 February 2024.[32] There were 16 century breaks[17] made in Group 7, the highest being 147 made by Joe O'Connor in his league match against Elliot Slessor, the first maximum break of his career and the 200th in professional snooker.[33][18] O'Connor won the group and qualified for the Winners' Group.[34][35]
The Winners' Group was played on 12 and 13 March 2024.[36] There were 16 century breaks[17] made in the Winners' Group, the highest being 143 made by Neil Robertson.[18] Mark Selby won the group and the tournament.[37]
Tom has certainly been the most successful player in the United States, in winning a record five United States National Snooker Championship titles and being runner-up on two other occasions. He also holds the Championship's highest break standing at 123.
Early Billiards Career Tom started playing pool when he discovered a pool hall on his daily paper delivery rounds in 1949. He won the Michigan Straight Pool Championships twice in the 1960s, and he played in seven U.S. Opens, finishing in the top-10 three times.
Tom Kollins pictured with the legendary Willie Mosconi during a pool exhibition in 1964 Already a very accomplished pool player, he discovered snooker in 1977, found the game fascinating and challenging compared to pool and was immediately hooked on the sport.
International Snooker League Tom's first international snooker event was at the Eccentric Club in London, England, as a member of the United States team in the International Snooker League (ISL). He continued to captain the American team in the ISL for the next 30 years.
International Snooker Representation Tom Kollins pictured with Ajeya Prabhakar at the
2000 IBSF World Snooker Championship in China Tom has represented the United States in the IBSF World Snooker Championship on ten occasions since 1984, and played as a United States team member on two occasions in World Snooker Team Championships. He has also competed for the United States in three European Snooker Championships, which were at the time when the United States was an associate member of the European Billiards & Snooker Association (EBSA).
When I was selected to represent the United States at the 2004 IBSF World Snooker Championship in the Netherlands, the constant question to me from everyone was "Where's Tom?" It is an expectation that if the United States is participating in any international snooker event, Tom will be a part of it.
Personal Tom Kollins pictured at the
Detroit Athletic Club in 1973 Born on February 6, 1936, Tom grew up in Pennsylvania before marrying and moving to the Detroit area where he worked as a radio broadcaster and raised a family.
In 1968 the prestigious Detroit Athletic Club hired Tom to manage their billiard room. He served there until 1974, when he then turned to teaching national and international players at his School For Straight Pool.
In the 1980s, with the advent of videotape, he marketed and produced pool instructional tapes by Hall of Fame pool players Grady Mathews, Nick Varner and Dallas West, and, as well as himself and others, when he founded Video Idea Productions.
I first met Tom in 2000 where I played him at the United States National Snooker Championship in Grayslake, Illinois. I was immediately taken with the great depth of knowledge he has for the game and how fun he was to hang out with. We are proud to have him on our board of directors, and he is a key contributor to our game of snooker in the United States.
Turki Alalshikh, the head of the General Entertainment Authority, has announced that Riyadh Season has collaborated with the World Snooker Tour to serve as the official partner for the World Snooker Championship.
Additionally, a three-year arrangement with Ronnie O'Sullivan has been revealed to establish a Ronnie O'Sullivan Snooker Academy in Saudi Arabia to nurture talent within the country.
This partnership was announced by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), and forms part of Saudi Arabia's broader commitment to advancing sports and fostering talent within the Kingdom.
The Riyadh Season has demonstrated its continued commitment to the World Snooker Tour by becoming its official partner. This strategic partnership underscores Riyadh Season's dedication to supporting the World Snooker Championship and expanding the footprint of the sport in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The recent Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker tournament was a resounding success. The event, which concluded last month, saw Ronnie O'Sullivan emerge victorious, further solidifying his position in the world of snooker.
The upcoming tournament will host the world's top 10 players, along with two wildcard entries. The event will also reintroduce the innovative Riyadh Season ball, offering the chance for players to achieve a record-breaking score of 167 and win a doubled prize of $1 million.
Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), emphasized that these partnerships and initiatives present significant strides in advancing snooker in Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh Season's commitment to diversifying its entertainment offerings through sporting events like snooker reflects its dedication to fostering a vibrant community where enthusiasts can pursue their passions.
The event, scheduled to commence on Saturday and continue until May 6th at the Crucible in Sheffield, serves as a testament to the blossoming collaboration between Riyadh Season and the World Snooker Tour, promising an exhilarating experience for fans worldwide.
Renowned for his record of 23 Triple Crown titles, O'Sullivan's engagement with the World Snooker Tour events in Saudi Arabia is set to be a game-changer. As part of this ambassadorial agreement, O'Sullivan will participate in all World Snooker Tour events in Saudi Arabia.
Further, he will make special visits to the Kingdom to mentor and coach aspiring talents. This initiative aims to inspire a new generation of snooker enthusiasts and elevate the sport's profile in Saudi Arabia.
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