Mark Williams misses 300k pot, Bai Yulu wins UK and snooker podcasts look back at what should be a fourth major

A dramatic week filled with opinions about the event in Saudi Arabia is now behind us.

🇸🇦 Mark Williams misses 300k pot, Judd Trump wins Saudi Arabia Masters
On Tuesday, Judd Trump was checking Skyscanner during his interval against Wu Yize, trailing 4-0. However, he made a remarkable comeback to win 5-4, advancing up to the final against Mark Williams. In a sensational final, which came down to a deciding frame, Judd managed to recover from being 62-0 behind when Mark missed a crucial red.

While the final was packed with drama, it wasn’t the only intense moment. Matthew Selt walked out of a match when things didn’t go as expected. Perhaps the most unusual incident occurred when Ding lost the tip of his cue, committed a foul, and ultimately lost the match. Quite unlucky!

Even with the event now concluded, there’s still ongoing debate about whether such an event is truly welcome, given its controversial nature. Is it really deserving of fourth major status? The Saudi Arabia ranking event delivered plenty of drama, but doubts remain.

♀️ Bai Yulu wins UK Women's Snooker Championship
Bai Yulu joins Judd Trump in holding a trophy this week, having won the UK Women’s Snooker Championship final against Reanne Evans. She’s the first player to win the UK Championship, besides Reanne Evans or Ng On Yee, since 2012. Quite amazing, if you ask me.

🎰 Zhao returns
As mentioned in the previous issue of Snooker Weekly, the rumors appear to be true: Zhao Xintong is set to return and will enter the Q Tour in Bulgaria. SnookerHQ takes a look back at the events from two years ago. It might stir some uncomfortable memories, but we’ll see how it unfolds.

🎙️ Snooker podcast episodes last week
Snooker Hall aired two new episodes this weeek. In episode 26, Ajeya Prabhakar, president of United States Snooker Association, joins to discuss the development of snooker across the Americas. Episode 27 recaps the Saudi Arabia Masters and its potential impact on the rest of the season. Meanwhile, WST’s Snooker Club features snooker player Mark Allen as a guest, discussing Xi’an, the Saudi Arabia Masters, and wrapping up with a conversation about why Kyren Wilson is such a remarkable player. The Snooker Scene podcast also looks back at the Saudi Arabia Masters.

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