Riyadh Snooker Championship Starts with Golden Ball

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The third edition of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship begins Wednesday, drawing the world's top snooker players to Boulevard City for a three-day non-ranking event featuring a record-breaking prize and a unique golden ball challenge.

The tournament, running from November 19 to 21, pits 10 of the highest-ranked professionals against two local wildcard amateurs, Ziyad AlQabbani and Ayman Alamri. Defending champion Mark Allen of Northern Ireland, who defeated Luca Brecel in last year's final, headlines the field alongside world champion Zhao Xintong of China, world number one Judd Trump of England, and seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan of England. Other contenders include Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, Mark Williams, John Higgins, Ding Junhui, and Shaun Murphy.

Play starts at 2 p.m. local time each day, with the opening rounds on Wednesday. Shaun Murphy faces AlQabbani, while Ding Junhui meets Alamri in best-of-seven-frame matches. Winners advance to face O'Sullivan and Higgins, respectively, later that evening. Quarterfinals follow on Thursday, including Allen against the Higgins or Ding-Alamri winner, Wilson versus Robertson, Trump against...