Neil Robertson v Zhao Xintong live stream | Riyadh Season Snooker Championship Final preview

Neil Robertson does battle with Zhao Xintong on Friday for the right to be crowned the winner of the 2025 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.

The lucrative invitational event draws to a dramatic climax at the Global Theatre in Boulevard City, where a top prize of £250,000 is on offer to the last man standing over the best of nine frames.

It is fitting that the final will be contested by two players making their first appearances in the tournament, as well as the two most recent overseas World champions.

They have only met on one previous occasion, though it was six years ago with Zhao running out a commanding 4-0 winner at the 2019 English Open.

Robertson is looking to double up in the Kingdom, having scooped the top prize of £500,000 for his dramatic 10-9 victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August.

The Thunder could subsequently take his earnings in Saudi Arabia alone this season to £750,000, and he has only dropped a single frame in his two matches thus far.

Robertson hit breaks of 100, 103, 88 and 76 during his 4-0 rout over Kyren Wilson, during which he outscored the Warrior by 421 points to 26 in just 43 minutes of play.

The 2010 World champion followed that up with contributions of 73 and 67 during a 4-1 victory over defending champion Mark Allen in the semi-finals, sealing the win with a superb counter clearance of 73 from 72-0 down.

Zhao, meanwhile, went the distance with Judd Trump in the other last-four clash on Friday.

The reigning Crucible king lost six straight frames from 2-0 up against Trump in last week’s Champion of Champions semi-final, and found himself 2-0 down to the world number one.

However the Cyclone, who beat Shaun Murphy 4-2 in the quarter-finals, rallied by winning three of the next four frames – hitting the tournament’s high break of 138 along the way – before producing a typically calm clearance of 33 in the decider to scrape over the line.

Through to his first final since that historic Crucible triumph, Zhao is set for another thrilling battle against Robertson, with both players aiming to become the third winner in as many editions of this tournament.

The match breaks off at 7pm GMT (10pm local time) on Friday and will be contested over the best of nine frames at the Global Theatre in Boulevard City, Riyadh.

WATCH THE RIYADH SEASON SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP STREAMED LIVE

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