Ronnie O’Sullivan Dominates Ding, Williams Stuns Trump in Riyadh Snooker Showdown

Ronnie O’Sullivan advanced to the semi-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship with a commanding 4-0 win over Ding Junhui in Saudi Arabia. The seven-time world champion displayed his mastery by quickly taking a 2-0 lead before producing back-to-back breaks of 129 and 113 to secure the victory.

Ding, from China, struggled to find his rhythm, failing to score a point in the final two frames. O’Sullivan, boasting an 84% pot success rate, will now face Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen in Friday’s semi-final.

Earlier, Mark Williams delivered a thrilling performance to defeat world number one Judd Trump 4-3. The match was closely contested, with the players tied at 2-2 before Trump took the fifth frame with a stunning 107 break. However, Williams forced a decider, and despite trailing 34-8 in the final frame, the Welshman produced a remarkable 68 break to clinch victory. The three-time world champion, turning 50 next year, will meet Belgium’s Luca Brecel in the semi-finals.

Brecel overcame world champion Kyren Wilson in another nail-biting encounter. Leading 42-1 in the final frame, Brecel missed a routine red, giving Wilson a chance. But the Englishman could only pot one red before Brecel returned to seal his spot in the last four. Reflecting on the tense finish, Brecel noted, “This is exactly what I need, to win these games against top players.”

Meanwhile, Allen showcased his quality with a 4-2 win over Mark Selby. Despite Selby’s impressive 68 clearance in the third frame, Allen stormed back with runs of 76 and 75 to take the last three frames convincingly.