The 2025 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final will be contested between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson in Jeddah on Saturday.
Two of the game’s heavyweights will duel for the £500,000 top prize in what is a blockbuster battle to conclude the week’s action at the Green Halls.
There is always plenty of anticipation ahead of a ranking event final, particularly one with such a significant champion’s cheque on offer.
But excitement in this tournament reached fever levels on Friday with O’Sullivan producing another incredible moment of magic in a career full of them.
After seven years without making any, O’Sullivan spectacularly compiled a brace of 147 breaks during his 6-3 semi-final victory over Chris Wakelin.
The Rocket added runs of 142 and 134 in a brutal display of scoring that was reminiscent of his absolute best – all just a few months shy of his 50th birthday.
O’Sullivan extended his record tally of maximum breaks to 17, constructing the perfect breaks in the first and seventh frames against his fellow Englishman.
After years in which he complained about the lack of incentives to make a 147 on the circuit, the seven-time world champion collects more than £180,000 in bonuses.
It was another memorable performance which reminded everyone that, even following a poor 2024/25 campaign by his standards, he is nowhere near done yet.
Indeed, O’Sullivan looked very much back to near his best and will owe a debt of gratitude to fellow pro Sunny Akani, who engineered the new cue that he has quickly taken a liking to.
The job, of course, isn’t done quite yet in the Kingdom with the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final against Robertson still to come.
The Australian reached the title-deciding affair earlier on Friday with a 6-3 triumph over Elliot Slessor.
Robertson wasn’t at his best but still contributed a couple of breaks above 90 to move a win away from the biggest payday of his career.
This time 12 months ago, the 43 year-old was languishing outside the world’s top 16 amid a dismal spell of form that included him failing to qualify for the 2024 World Championship.
But as all the great champions manage to do, Robertson has fought his way back to the top and this would mark a third piece of silverware in the last year.
Victory would take the Melbourne man’s carry tally of ranking titles to 26, while O’Sullivan is bidding for a record-extending 42nd at this level.
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O’Sullivan and Robertson have faced off in numerous important showdowns over the years, with this contest representing their 35th on the main tour.
The former boasts the head-to-head advantage, but their history in finals is tight with O’Sullivan emerging victoriously on four occasions to Robertson’s three.
Tournament organisers and the World Snooker Tour will no doubt be quietly pleased with the two protagonists involved.
Indeed, the only somewhat respectable crowd numbers that have been visible in the arena this week have been when O’Sullivan has been at the table, and even then it hasn’t been good.
The tournament is billed as the fourth major and for the second year in a row is rewarded with a title-defining battle worthy of such an occasion.
Whether there is an atmosphere worthy of such an occasion is doubtful, but it promises to be a fascinating watch from afar either way.
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final takes place over the best of 19 frames on Saturday, August 16th at 11am and 5:30pm UTC+1 (BST).
Featured photo credit: WST
The final match is still being waited?