RIYADH – World champion Luca Brecel is excited to be among those looking to complete the first-ever 167 break, after the new golden ball was introduced at Saudi Arabia’s first professional snooker event this week.
The opening season of the Riyadh World Masters of Snooker offers players the opportunity to win a prize of US$500,000 (S$670,000) if they can complete a maximum 147 and then pot the golden ball.
The golden ball, worth 20 points, sits on the top cushion during the frame for as long as a player can still complete a maximum and is removed when the chance is gone.
The event, which took place until March 6, features 10 players such as Ronnie O’Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams and Ding Junhui. The final started after press time.
“Yeah, it’s exciting the golden ball. Obviously it’s a big prize and well, it’s going to be very difficult. It’s a nice challenge and I’d love to have a go at it. Even if I don’t make it, I would just like to have a try,” Brecel said on March 5.
“The 147 in itself is really difficult. But now you need to be perfect on the black as well to go to the golden ball, which is even more difficult.”
Former world champion Judd Trump is also relishing the challenge.
“It’s something cool. I think it’s always good to kind of push new ideas and the challenge of making a different break, a 167 here, would be very special,” he said.
“The 167 is just that little bit harder now and with that comes a bigger prize. So, I think that 167 is very special for the first time.”
Following the announcement in February of the creation of a Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters which will become the “fourth Major”, Brecel added that it was good to see the sport expanding into new countries.
“(It’s) very good for us and for snooker,” he said.
“It’s nice to be able to come to these countries and hopefully maybe Qatar and Dubai will follow and in the future maybe go to the United States as well and make snooker really, really big in all the countries in the world.”
Under the 10-year deal, the first edition of the Saudi Arabia Masters will take place in Riyadh from Aug 31 to Sept 7. It will be a ranking event open to all World Snooker Tour players, plus six local wild cards. REUTERS
