Snooker Riyadh Season Snooker Championship

Riyadh Season Snooker Championship 2024 recap – Ronnie O'Sullivan thrashes Ding Junhui, Mark Williams beats Judd Trump

Ronnie O'Sullivan will make his first appearance in almost a month when he takes on Ding Junhui in the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship last eight on Thursday. The Rocket is slated to appear around 21:00 GMT, after the conclusion of world No. 1 Judd Trump's clash with three-time world champion Mark Williams. The afternoon session is also juicy, with Mark Selby v Mark Allen kicking things off.

'Oh my god!' - Watch as Selt yells in frustration as teenager wins match with fluke

Video credit: TNT Sports

JOIN US TOMORROW

We will be back for the semi-final and final coverage from Riyadh.

Williams v Brecel (2pm)
O'Sullivan v Allen (3pm)
Final 7pm

Riyadh Season Snooker Championship

What are the golden ball rules? What is the prize? Who could get first 167 break?

20/11/2025 at 07:12

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O'SULLIVAN 'fresh as a daisy'

Despite finishing his quarter-final clash in Riyadh at 2am the seven-time world champion said that he was as 'fresh as a daisy'.

O'Sullivan whitewashed Ding 4-0 and had an average shot time of 16 seconds.

"I'm fresh as a daisy," he told DAZN. "I love the lifestyle here. Life doesn't begin until 5 o'clock at night, I'm enjoying the Saudi way of living.

"I've enjoyed the last three tournaments, I've found a way to feel comfortable at the table which is great.

"There was certain stuff I wasn't very good at, I had to tighten up on my safety. I've been working with Lee Walker who has pointed some stuff out to me and I can feel the difference.

"You just have to have that mentality of grinding away, forget the good and bad stuff and keep playing. Hopefully pick some silverware up."

O'SULLIVAN 4-0 DING (113-0)

Some positional shots early in this fourth frame which if O'Sullivan wins will see him progress.

With both players clipping the reds and returning to the top of the table, the balls are scattered if either player makes a mistake.

Of course it is O'Sullivan who lands the first blow slotting a red and then blue. The table is so open he could well clear up from here.

Ronnie has been in sparkling form tonight and even with the rest he clips the red into the pocket and follows with the black.

It is very late in Riyadh (almost 2am) but O'Sullivan has flown through this match and is heading towards a century break.

O'Sullivan eventually sends the green into clipping the pocket but has whitewashed Ding in 49 minutes.

O'SULLIVAN 3-0 DING (129*-0)

The Rocket is sending a clear message to his tournament rivals this evening and opens the third frame with a fantastic shot across the table.

O'Sullivan then flies onto reds and the black and uses the cue ball to open the pack of reds.

The golden frame is off the cards as Ronnie moves the cue ball up the table and uses the blue and pink instead of the black.

This has been another relentless frame from O'Sullivan as he heads towards a century break, averaging 16 seconds per shot.

O'Sullivan reaches the century break with ease, hardly breaking his play as he cleans up the table. Ding has been a spectator in two of the opening three frames.

He fails to pot the black for the total clearance but the frame was won long ago.

O'SULLIVAN 2-0 DING (67-49)

Ding makes a mistake to hand O'Sullivan second frame.

O'Sullivan makes a big mistake on his return to the table as he pots the cue ball.

However, the seven-time world champion responds with an excellent position shot. Both players pull out some excellent positional shots as this second frame becomes a game of nerves.

O'Sullivan eventually misses the brown resulting in Ding pulling him back to three points. However, Ding's next shot is poor and allows O'Sullivan to wrap up the frame.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 DING (52-41)

This is a big opportunity for Ding to get back into this frame and to stop the match getting away from him.

The Chinese player quickly builds a break of 25 and leaves the Riyadh venue silent.

Ding is left with a difficult shot onto one of the remaining reds which he comfortably sinks. However, a shot onto the green left him in trouble and Ding missed the following brown.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 DING (52-1)

Ding is off the mark by potting a red and then trying a powerful shot on the brown which was never going in.

The miss allows Ronnie back to the table and he quickly picks off reds from the pack as the table starts to open up.

O'Sullivan plays one brilliant shot onto a red and then miss-cues with the resulting blue. That miss has given Ding a golden chance in this frame.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 DING (35-0)

Ronnie with the break which opened a chance for his opponent, but Ding misses the red. With the following shot O'Sullivan gets off the mark.

The Rocket has started like a man on a mission and has flown into a break of 29 without breaking a sweat in this second frame.

However, a difficult angle onto a black results in the ball hitting the pocket and allows Ding back to the table.

Ding has a brief visit before O'Sullivan tries a long shot on a red which hits the jaws of the pocket.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 DING (87-8)

O'Sullivan has flown out of the gate and secured the opening frame with ease.

Ding makes a mistake from the break allowing O'Sullivan the opportunity to get an early foothold in the opening frame.

O'Sullivan pots the first red and then alerts the referee that he made a foul shot with a double hit.

However, the Chinese player fails to capitalize and the Rocket is back to the table adding another red before going for a positional shot.

Ding leaves his opponent an opportunity which O'Sullivan accepts and quickly builds a break.

With several reds dispatched from the pack the Rocket has rifled into a commanding lead into this opening frame.

An excellent shot on the blue breaks the reds up completely and the seven-time world champion has secured this opening frame.

WILLIAMS SAID HE WAS 'DUE' TIEBREAK WIN

After being beaten by Trump on several occasion in tiebreak finishes Williams felt it was his turn to progress.

"Judd looked so good when he's hitting the balls, he just doesn't look like missing," said Williams speaking to DAZN.

"The only time he misses is if he doesn't get into position or goes into the reds and doesn't come onto something.

"I'm due a close one against him, he's beaten me in a lot of deciding frames. I can have one every five years."

TRUMP 3-4 WILLIAMS (34-76)

Williams triumphs after showing some fantastic potting during a tense final frame. The Welshman will now face Brecel in the semi-final.

Trump gives his opponent the chance to get off the mark with a red.

Despite Williams not adding to his total at the first attempt, Trump makes a further mistake and Williams takes advantage.

The Welsh Potting Machine has a glorious chance now in this frame and the table is an inviting one.

With the same calm composure which he has shown throughout this match, Williams adds to his lead and leads in the deciding frame.

The Welshman then produces an excellent pot onto the blue which also opens up two reds. The positional shot has won him this match

TRUMP 3-3 WILLIAMS (34*-0)

Both players opt for safety shots as they attempt to chip off the reds and leave the cue ball at the top of the table.

Williams attempts a long pot which flies across the table and cannones off the jaws of the pocket. His miss leaves the pot open for Trump.

The former world champion has work to do as the reds are still clustered. After hitting a blue Trump sends the cue ball into the pack of reds, but a lack of power leaves himself in a difficult position.

Following a break of 20 the players are locked into further tactical play.

Williams pots the cue ball with a safety shot which gives Trump an additional four points.

TRUMP 3-3 WILLIAMS (10*-0)

There is a lot at stake in this deciding frame.

Both players unsurprisingly start with some tactical shots as neither wants to give the other an advantage.

Williams blinks first with his shot on a red into the middle pocket hitting the jaws and heading out. Trump capitalises by sinking the same red from a different angle.

The table is still very clustered and after potting the green he runs out of options and opts for a safety shot.

TRUMP 3-3 WILLIAMS (0-86)

This game is heading to a decider following a commanding frame from Williams.

The world No.1 starts the sixth frame nicely with a positional shot which results in his competitor doing likewise. It's a big frame for both players and a tense start to it.

It is Williams who strikes first with a brilliantly executed red followed by a blue, but the table is still very tight.

After opening his break at the top of the table the Welshman then picks off loose reds at the bottom and opens up the black.

Williams then uses a powerful shot onto a red to break the pack, whilst on a break of 42.

With the table spread out Williams is able to pick his shots and is out of sight in this frame.

The world No.6 has been so composed building a break of 86 before missing a red, while using the rest.

TRUMP 3-2 WILLIAMS (107-25)

This is another tense and closely fought frame with the match also in the balance.

Trump has played some nice positional shots and just when he looks in trouble, he pots a red and uses the cue ball to split the remaining pack.

Williams had done a lot of the hard work in this frame by arranging the reds nicely. However, a misplaced positional shot and miss on a red has allowed Trump to steal this frame.

The world No.1 has made no mistake in cleaning up the table. He also notches a century before clearing the black

TRUMP 2-2 WILLIAMS (0-25)

They are three hours ahead in Riyadh and approaching midnight.

There is still O'Sullivan v Ding to come after this match comes to its conclusion.

Williams takes command in this frame with an early red and then, with the resulting brown he also split the reds.

The positional shot allows him to pick through the reds and build a break of 25. However, a miss on a red allows Trump back into the frame.

TRUMP 2-2 WILLIAMS (26-69)

Trump needs to clear the balls up and gain a snooker.

However, the world No.1 is going to give it his best shot. He builds a break of 21 before missing the final red resulting in some tactical play.

Williams is the first to flinch as he misses a shot handing Trump the opportunity to snooker his opponent and get back into this frame.

The Welshman escapes another snooker, but the cue ball kisses the pockets and somehow stays out. A stroke of luck there.

Williams is eventually given a chance to pot the red and seal the frame.

TRUMP 2-1 WILLIAMS (1-64*)

Trump starts the fourth frame with a nice tactical shot, resting the cue ball alongside a red at the bottom of the table.

With his following shot he sinks a far red. However, with the following shot he miss-hits the yellow which was never going into the pocket.

Williams responds with a fine shot of his own, cannoning the red off the cushion and into the middle pocket.

The Welsh Potting Machine smashes a blue into the middle pocket which sends the cue ball to break up the pack of reds.

Williams has calmly built a clear lead and pots a pink to mathematically win the frame. However, he then misses a red to put the frame beyond any doubt and brings Trump back to the table.

TRUMP 2-1 WILLIAMS (67-29)

It's a moment of wizardry by Williams as his shot from the top of the table cannons off a red in-line with the middle pocket, sending it into the far pocket.

However, after he misses another red with just refuses to sink in the pocket. This time Trump does capitalise. He cannons a red into the pocket and the cue ball flies into the pack to spread them out.

Trump now has options across the table and has turned this frame on its head.

The world No.1 makes a break of 66 before a tough red hits the pocket. Williams comes back to the table and needs a snooker so puts his opponent into a difficult position.

However, Trump provides a fine shot off the cushion to hit a red, which was positioned kissing the pink.

A game of tactical snooker develops with both players patiently testing the other. Eventually Williams misses a shot resulting in his opponent sinking a decisive red to settle the frame.

TRUMP 1-1 WILLIAMS (0-24)

Williams is in the zone this evening walking around the table and playing some lovely shots.

He capitalises on a couple of loose reds at the top of the table. After breaking the pack of reds and leaving himself a good chance of winning this frame, Williams then misses a relatively simple red.

The door is now open for Trump to get back into this frame.

TRUMP 1-1 WILLIAMS (65-14)

Both players miss pots as Williams remains with a slim chance of a recovery in this frame.

The Welshman needs this break to be perfect, along with a snooker. However, the misses a black and concedes that he is beaten in the frame. The match is level at 1-1.

TRUMP 0-1 WILLIAMS (65-5)

Trump goes for a powerful shot on a red across the table. However, the ball hits the jaws of the pocket and stays out.

Williams responds with a break of five of his own. However, a miss-cue onto the blue results in the white losing all of its power.

The mistake allows Trump to edge further ahead with a further red.

TRUMP 0-1 WILLIAMS (64-0)

After being left in his chair to watch during the opening frame, Trump has struck early in this second.

The world No.1 hits a powerful red to open his break and follows that with a difficult shot onto a partly blocked black.

The balls have also been opened up nicely and he remains on for a maximum frame.

Trump has hit the ground running and sinks another tricky red, but with his break on 57 the table is looking more bunched.

The former world champion gambles to try and make a better position for himself, but runs out of options and the break is ended.

TRUMP 0-1 WILLIAMS (0-101)

We are underway in the third of these quarter-finals.

The current leader of the world rankings Trump has been in emphatic form this season and will be hoping to continue his form during this lucrative tournament.

Williams ocapitalises on an early error to sink a red then black. The Welsh star then over-hits a red leaving the black unavailable and the chance of a 167 gone.

The world No.6 then hits a powerful shot onto the blue with flies off the top cushion and breaks up the pack of reds.

Williams looks calm and collective as he lays down a marker in this opening frame. The reds are nicely broken up near the black.

A powerful break of 101 wins the opening frame.

'I COULD HAVE GONE HOME', SAID BRECEL

Former world champion Luca Brecel feared that he was on his way out of the tournament but kept his nerve in the deciding frame.

"This is exactly what I need, big games," Brecel told Dazn. "I have played some good matches this season, but not been winning them.

"I've always been a player that when under pressure I play well. I've got that little bit of bottle maybe.

"You have to be focused all the time. In that last frame I missed the red and I could have gone home if he cleared up.

"I got to the final here and I was very focused and composed. This year has been the same, from the start I was really up for it."

Luca Brecel

Image credit: TNT Sports

Wilson 3-4 Brecel (2-100)

Wilson failed to capitalise on the mistakes from Brecel in this nervous final frame.

However, the former world champion has battled back from two frames down early in this frame to book his semi-final spot.

He sweeps up the remaining colours and will face either Judd Trump or Mark Williams in the next round

Wilson 3-3 Brecel (2-42)

An exchange of safety plays sees Wilson make a decent pot to open his account for the frame. However, the ball springs off the cushion quickly leaving him playing a safety shot.

He hoped for a shot on a color, but the cue ball ran away from him.

Brecel responds by picking up where he left off with a nice red and then color. However, a huge mistake on a decisive red sees the ball rattle off the jaws of the pocket, with a lead of 41.

Wilson also makes a mistake in this nervous deciding frame, slotting a red and then missing the following black.

Wilson 3-3 Brecel (0-31)

A break between frames as Wilson leaves the arena to compose himself for this decider. The winner will scoop £75,000 and earn a lucrative semi-final spot.

Wilson has the opportunity to open the break with a relatively simple cueing shot across the able but misses.

That opens a chance for Belgian Brecel. A nice pot on the blue follows and the removal of the golden ball.

After battling back from going two frames down early in this match Brecel has chalked up a good advantage in this deciding frame move blue and then red.

However, a poor positional shot from a red leaves the Belgian short and ends a break of 31.

Wilson 3-3 Brecel (69-9)

We're going to a deciding frame for the first time this tournament! A place in the semi-finals is on the line as Wilson gets over the line in frame six with a couple of handy blues - who will emerge victorious?

Wilson 2-3 Brecel (51-9)

Cheeky Luca! Brecel pockets two more points with a flukey yellow bottom right that he immediately apologises for, but it inches him closer to Wilson and victory before playing another safety.

Wilson 2-3 Brecel (51-6)

Wilson was strolling to his third frame but the cue dies on impact with the remaining cluster and that slams on the brakes - though he at least leaves the table with a superb safety onto baulk.

Wilson 2-3 Brecel (36-6)

Remember when Wilson expertly cannoned onto pink to spread the reds earlier? It's not a carbon copy, but again The Warrior splits the cluster and now he's in his stride.

Wilson 2-3 Brecel (5-6)

Wilson led the scorring 144-1 in the first two frames, but has completely lost his way since then. Has he just recovered it though? He thins a red superbly to middle then slams a brown - now he must convert.

Wilson 2-3 Brecel (4-68)

Remember when Wilson was 2-0 up in this one? Brecel fouls but it's too late to save the beleaguered Warrior as his opponent's low-risk game pays off with another frame.

Wilson 2-2 Brecel (0-15)

Brecel escapes with aplomb! Finally some good luck falls to the player in possession as the Belgian cannons a red in middle, it's no doubt a fluke and Wilson is seething.

Wilson 2-2 Brecel (0-7)

Talk about complete misjudgments. Brecel has a disastrous cannon into brown... but then Wilson slams a red into the bottom left jaws! Neither player wants this.

Wilson 2-2 Brecel (0-1)

Wilson wipes away a chalky mark with disdain - remember The Belgian Bullet uses Triangle not TAOM - and it appears to be in the world champion's head as he completely misjudges a safety and hands Brecel an easy red.

Wilson 2-2 Brecel (1-86)

YES LUCA! He navigates a pesky yellow to pot a terrific long red with the frame already in the bag - a miscue in the middle couldn't slow down the Belgian as Wilson made yet another mistake on the rest and we're now all level.

Wilson 2-1 Brecel (1-15)

Oh dear. Wilson is denied black on the jaws and leaves the reds free for Brecel, who digs in immediately. He gets himself into a bit of a sticky situation mid-table but smartly uses a helpful red as a stopper for the cue, opening up the table and the chance to level up the match.

Wilson 2-1 Brecel (0-89)

Is Brecel back? It's far from the cleanest break ever with some decidedly dodgy contacts, but Brecel loves the blue in this and is only denied a shot at a century by a thick red, unpicking a tricky table to get back in the match.

Wilson 2-0 Brecel (0-7)

What a mess this frame has been. The Wilson-Brecel pot success rate is currently down at 83%-40% but the Belgian's patience finally pays off as he knocks in a straight red then moves down to the table where there's a challenging (but no impossible) puzzle to solve.

Wilson 2-0 Brecel (0-6)

We have some golden action as Wilson's stray red knocks it - though it barely moves off its mark. Brecel knocks in red-blue-red but then goes astray with an error that betrays his lack of table time and wastes a great opportunity to build some momentum.

Wilson 2-0 Brecel (69-1)

Wilson catches a red just too thick with fine margins preventing either player from kicking on... and as I type that Brecel's red just slightly deviates into a middle jaw allowing The Warrior to double his advantage.

Wilson 1-0 Brecel (60-1)

BOOM! Wilson cleans up the free reds, then cannons cue into the pink to split up the rest of the reds with a gorgeous spread across the table. From there it looked like easy pickings - though an early blue meant 167 was never on - but he's halted by a tough black cut that catches on the jaws.

Brecel approaches the table with 75 remaining but he starts with a bang, doubling red and getting the cue back to baulk for good measure. A long pink might've been on but instead Brecel plays a safety behind yellow.

Wilson 1-0 Brecel (1-0)

The break between frames isn't even long enough to make a cup of tea - I found out the hard way - but number two in much the same manner as number one with The Belgian Bullet not quite on target on a long red.

And Wilson shows great control to cut a red and get to work.

Wilson 1-0 Brecel (75-0)

Wilson overcomes those early jitters and seals the opening frame with a break of 44. Let hope the second is more free-flowing though!

Wilson 0-0 Brecel (31-0)

Wilson seemed to be shifting up the gears but fell into a cluster of reds, then fails off the spider though Brecel can't capitalise either - safe to say both players are still finding their feet in this one.

Wilson 0-0 Brecel (10-0)

Oh dear. Brecel drops more to his opponent and now finally Wilson can get moving.

Wilson 0-0 Brecel (8-0)

Brecel needs a thin edge off red to bring it back to baulk but he catches the wrong one, handing Wilson the initiative in the early fetal frame. The Warrior obliges too, potting a long red and screwing back onto black.

Next pair out

But without further ado, Brecel and Wilson are out and ready to get us started in the second quarter-final!

Allen: "The most nervous I've ever felt"

Mark Allen appeared on course for a shot at the golden ball but missed a sitter on black to end his break at 65 and even ended up losing the frame, he talked DAZN about it afterwards including the "Fluke of the Century":

"That's probably the most nervous I've ever felt trying to play a game of snooker! It's not often you get a chance for that sort of prize and when I fluked the black I thought 'is this meant to be?'... the black goes in then I just wasn't concentrating on the black that I did end up missing.

"Adrenaline got the better of me then I threw a quick one in on that black off the spot but what a buzz, what a buzz."

Stat attack

The pair sit on 110 frames apiece against each other all-time, but here's how the numbers bore out in today's game:

Mark Selby 2-4 Mark Allen

Pot success: 92-94%

Long pot success: 80-100%

Safety success: 71-83%

Total points: 215-363

Highest break: 88-76

Average shot time: 0:24-0:23

ALLEN INTO THE SEMI'S

And that's that! He'll face either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Ding Junhui, depending on the outcome of tonight's finale, but Allen survived more pressure than a submarine in that final frame and deservedly advances to semi-finals. Next up it's Luca Brecel facing Kyren Wilson.

Selby 2-4 Allen (35-75)

Selby made more than a decent fist of it, but Allen lands a good safety of his own and while The Jester escapes, he leaves red on top right and offers up the handshake - game over.

Selby 2-3 Allen (35-75)

Cue the 'hair's breadth' jokes - Allen misses red and Selby responds with another snooker, this time behind the black and Allen is under pressure!

BUT WHAT A SHOT TO RECOVER! He swerves around brown and doubles back into red to remain in a strong position.

Selby 2-3 Allen (31-75)

Selby isn't giving in though! He gets right behind a yellow, and to make matters worse for Allen there's a hair on the queue.

Selby 2-3 Allen (0-75)

Selby potted yellow 35 minutes ago... and has seen Allen rack up 220 unanswered points in reply to almost certainly reach the semi-finals. The Pistol doesn't do anything too fancy but sweeps black-blue-blue before he jaws a red in a handsome position leaving Selby needing one or two snookers to advance.

Selby 2-3 Allen (0-47)

The gold is off the table as Allen can't screw the ball far enough up the table to keep his crack at a maximum going after five blacks. Instead he knocks in a middle pink but could wrap up the match here.

Selby 2-3 Allen (0-1)

It's almost half an hour since Selby last potted... And he'll have to wait a little longer as an ambitious shot doesn't come off and Allen pots an easy red with the table primed for a shot at gold.

Selby 2-3 Allen (0-76)

Sometimes you must prioritise the frame and Allen wisely abandons the 167, instead focussing on the blue for three... four... five successive pots.

He screws away from the red cluster though a ringing phone almost breaks The Pistol's focus. He undercuts a red and doesn't recover smoothly - requiring some kind jaws - but recovers enough to wrap up the frame and take the lead for the first time in the match in nine minutes

Selby 2-2 Allen (0-8)

Pure class from Allen. He pots a long red straight and true, leaving the cue positioned perfectly to take a further seven points and get this break up and running.

Selby 2-2 Allen (3-78)

The Jester can't trick his way out of this one though. Allen goes pink-blue to wrap up the frame and adds a few extras for style - Selby predicted that this match would go to a decider, is he correct?

Selby 2-1 Allen (3-59)

Again? He screws the cue horribly and while Selby has a mountain to climb to win the frame, he at least gets the chance to put his hiking boots on.

Selby 2-1 Allen (3-51)

Allen can't finish his dinner once again. He nails four blacks and initially extricates himself from a tangled cluster to continue the break but then leaves too much on the cue to open the door.

Selby returns the favour with another safety error though, allowing Allen back into the driving seat with a 48-point lead.

Selby 2-1 Allen (3-14)

Selby's had a shocker. Misses his attempt to kiss a red and leaves a valuable free ball for Allen, who may be celebrating karma after he had the third frame stolen earlier.

Selby 2-1 Allen (3-9)

A long pot gets Selby on the board, he can't repeat the feat but does hide the cue behind blue in the process.

Selby 2-1 Allen (0-9)

Again Allen gets us going with black top left, he'll struggle to keep 167 alive a messy bottom table. And so it transpires, he instead goes up the table and kisses the yellow to safety.

Selby 2-1 Allen (0-0)

There's more golden watch ahead of the frame with Allen asking what happens if a player disturbs the 20-point behemoth before the frame starts. The answer, apparently, is it stays where it was knocked to - so that could be a way to make the 167 slightly easier if a player is willing to eat the 4-point deduction.

In the match itself, we're into another safety battle.

Selby 2-1 Allen (68-65)

How did that feel so inevitable? Selby is business-like and in the lead.

Selby 1-1 Allen (0-65)

Oh no Mark! Allen lands a major fluke as he misses the black on the bottom left but it somehow drops into the opposite pocket, but the Northern Irishman misses a straightforward black and hasn't even wrapped up the frame!

It seemed written in the stars after that stunning seventh black but now Selby has the chance to steal...

Selby 1-1 Allen (0-49)

A red escapes up the table but Allen chases it and returns to pot his fifth, then sixth black. Now comes the biggie though - breaking up the cluster with tonnes of topspin... and The Pistol nails it! 167 is on.

Selby 1-1 Allen (0-8)

Mission accomplished there for Allen. He opts to attack a tough black, digging deep into the cue and knocking the red off the blackspot for good measure - is the million dollars on his mind? The gold ball remains on the table.

Selby 1-1 Allen (0-0)

The frame begins under a veil of secrecy with Selby asking the referee for a piece of information that's apparently classified! The Jester looks bemused and we didn't quite hear the question, it'll be something to look out for in the post-match interview though as we wait for the third to really catch fire.

Selby 1-1 Allen (21-69)

It's been a tournament of whitewashes (and power failures) so far but that won't continue today! Allen cuts a yellow to push Selby out of reach and claims the second frame to make a match of it: 1-1.

Selby 1-0 Allen (21-62)

That's gorgeous from The Pistol. A long red into gets him back in the saddle with the chance to draw level - he'll need to get through a difficult cluster to claim the frame though.

Selby 1-0 Allen (21-61)

It's not quite in the bag, but Allen pots the red that looks like frame ball and adds four blacks for good measure, leaving Selby requiring two snookers.

Selby 1-0 Allen (21-30)

That's gorgeous from the Pistol. A long red into gets him back in the saddle with the chance to draw level - he'll need to get through a difficult cluster to claim the frame though.

Selby 1-0 Allen (21-29)

The break never garners too much momentum for Selby, and ends quickly as he misses a tough red in the middle of the table.

Selby 1-0 Allen (1-29)

Allen navigates that pesky pink initially very well... but then takes his eye off the ball and it jags out, allowing Selby to respond.

Selby 1-0 Allen (1-12)

Allen finally opens his account, bisecting the pocket that denied him last time out. However, pushing in a blue mid-table has left the pink out of position and he must switch to yellow.

Selby 1-0 Allen (1-0)

Once again it's a nervous start but Allen catches the bottom left jaws, allowing Selby to slam a red into the opposite side and it's bouncing boing... boing... boing and in! The leader in the clubhouse can't keep it going though.

Selby 1-0 Allen (88-0)

It's a tense start but Selby knocks a long red into the heart of the bottom left - the sign of a confident player - and is off. The Jester from Leicester cannons the reds open off the blue, playing positively after he cut a relaxed figure ahead of the match.

The charge threatens to end when Selby drops a red too close to the black spot, but he escapes the trap and wraps up the frame on his fourth black of the break.

It's a clinical opening 11 minutes.

PLAYERS ARE OUT

Mark Selby has predicted this match will be won on the deciding frame at 4-3, while Mark Allen told DAZN:

"It's a match I'm always looking forward to, he's one of the all-time greatest players, we've had some epics and some one-sided ones so hoping for a bit more of a comfortable one this time."

Best ever?

We've got a repeat of the summer's thrilling Saudi Masters final later between Judd Trump and Mark Williams, a game that DAZN's Steven Hallworth described as the best he's ever seen. Will we get a repeat of that today?

Last time out

If we get anything like this today then it should be one hell of a game! Don't forget that Kyren Wilson v Luca Brecel is coming up at the conclusion of Allen v Selby too.

Hello and welcome

With a power failure disrupting Zhang Anda's quest for a first-ever 167 last night and a late change in schedule today, it's not been the smoothest start to the Riyadh Season snooker. However, we're now just 10 minutes away from getting our Mark-off underway as Allen faces Selby.