Mark Allen earned the highest pay of his career after winning the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship; The Northern Irishman earns £250,000 after beating Luca Brecel in the final. Allen defeats Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals to leave 'Rocket' still waiting for the first title of the 2024/25 season
Last updated: 12/21/24 at 12:09 AM
Mark Allen won the Riyadh Snooker Season Championship
Mark Allen won his first title of the 2024/25 season by winning the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals before beating Luca Brecel to claim the £250,000 grand prize.
Allen's best results in the season before his success in Saudi Arabia 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, and came back the next day to beat seven-time King of the Crucible O'Sullivan by the same scoreline.
He then beat 2023 world champion Bressel 5-1 in the final after losing the first frame, firing in two centuries and a break of 50 to earn the highest payday of his career.
Allen also won £250,000 after winning the UK Championship in York in 2022.
The Golden Ball remains without a balance throughout the tournament
No player in the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship was able to take the Golden Ball and earn $1 million for 167 breaks, which is unique for this event in Saudi Arabia.
Players can only miss the Golden Ball after completing a regulation break of 147, but the closest to the limit was China's Zhang Anda, who broke after 12 of the red and black on the first day.
Champion Allen is now aiming to win The Masters at Alexandra Palace for the second time in January having previously claimed the title in 2018, beating Kyren Wilson in the final.
O'Sullivan is the defending Masters champion, beating Ali Carter 10-7 in 2024, but has yet to get past the semi-finals of the tournament this season.
Snooker Masters Schedule 2025
The tournament will be held from January 12 to 19 at Alexandra Palace in London
Round 1 (Best of 11 Frames)
Sunday 12 January
One o'clock in the afternoon
Ronnie O'Sullivan vs John Higgins
7pm
Shaun Murphy vs. Gary Wilson
Monday 13 January
One o'clock in the afternoon
Mark Williams vs. Ding Junhui
7pm
Mark Selby vs. Ali Carter
Tuesday 14 January
One o'clock in the afternoon
Judd Trump vs. Barry Hawkins
7pm
Mark Allen vs. C Jiahui
Wednesday 15 January
One o'clock in the afternoon
Kyren Wilson vs. Your Chang
7pm
Luca Brecel vs. Chris Wakelin
Quarter-finals (best of 11 frames)
O'Sullivan/Higgins v Murphy/G Wilson
Allen/See v. Selby/Carter
Trump/Hawkins v. Williams/Deng
Brecel/Wakelin vs K Wilson/Zhang
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