Please note that this is NOT an official website. At this point in time Ronnie O’ Sullivan does not have an official website, nor does he wish to have one.
Ronnie beat Joe O’Connor by 5-3 today to book his place in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Grand Prix. It wasn’t straightforward and, TBH, it wasn’t a high quality match. For some reason both players appeared to struggle with the conditions and were far from their break-building best. Ronnie in particular struggled badly early in the match. There was not one century in the match which is rather unusual nowadays.
Ronnie will now face Xiaoguodong in the round of 16.
As alwatys, all the detailed results are available on snooker.org.
Here are the scores for that match:
And here is the report shared by WST:
World Grand Prix 2026 Day Two Round-Up
Nine Chinese players have reached the last 16 of the World Grand Prix – a record for any ranking event – and among them is Crucible king Zhao Xintong who scored a superb 5-3 win over John Higgins on day two in Hong Kong.
Alongside Zhao in Thursday’s last-16 line up are Zhou Yuelong, Yuan Sijun, Wu Yize, Chang Bingyu, Zhang Anda, Pang Junxu, Si Jiahui and Xiao Guodong, underlining the increasing strength of Chinese players at snooker’s elite level.
It has been a mixed season for Zhao so far – he won the invitational Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in November but in ranking events he has reached just one semi-final and is in danger of missing out on this month’s Sportsbest.io Players Championship, for the top 16 on the one-year list. But from 2-1 down today against Higgins, he stepped up to the challenge and took four of the last five frames with top breaks of 60, 121, 73. Frame eight came down to a respotted black, and a rare weak safety from Higgins gifted his opponent the chance to pot the black to a baulk corner for victory.
“Towards the end, John gave me a few relatively easier chances and I managed to take them, so I think I was quite fortunate today,” said Zhao, who now meets Mark Selby. “I just tried to play in the way I normally do and stick to the style I believe in. I have confidence in my own game, and I feel that if I can perform to my normal level and show my form, then I can beat anyone. This is my first time playing in Hong Kong, so close to home, and to be able to compete in such a big event here means a lot to me.“
Ronnie O’Sullivan moved a step closer to a first ranking title in over two years as he beat Joe O’Connor 5-3, coming from 2-0 down to win five of the next six frames with top breaks of 65, 72 and 72.
“I don’t think a lack of sharpness is my problem because I have always played less tournaments than other players,” said O’Sullivan, who will face Xiao Guodong next. “I think my bad game is a lot worse than it used to be, and my good is not as good. That’s the reason I am not winning as much. I am probably not a very good player any more and I have to accept that. I am trying to find a way to keep playing without it driving me crazy. I posted about Novak Djokovic the other day, he is the best in any sport at managing emotions and we all try to be like him, but it’s not easy.“
Defending champion Neil Robertson was thrashed 5-1 by Jak Jones, who has only recently returned to action after being forced to take several weeks out with a broken right hand. “That’s a really big win for me,” said 2024 Crucible finalist Jones, whose top break today was 80. “The hand is still painful but it is healing well. I broke two of the bones and that’s not an injury you want as a snooker player.”
World number one Judd Trump saw his hopes of winning back-to-back ranking titles ended by a surprise 5-2 reverse against Yuan. Trump won the German Masters in Berlin on Sunday and after flying to Hong Kong – where he lives for much of the year – he hoped to continue his hot streak, but was outplayed by world number 31 Yuan whose top break was 103.
Yuan, who also has cause for celebration away from the table as he recently got married, said: “I was a bit nervous at the start, but once I made a century in the opening frame, I felt much more settled. I had never beaten him before, so the closer I got to winning, the stronger that desire to finally win became. Hong Kong is one of the most important events for us Chinese players, so I really hope I can keep winning.”
Si top scored with 102 in a 5-2 win over Gary Wilson while Scottish Open champion Chris Wakelin enjoyed a 5-0 whitewash of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh with a top run of 96. Ali Carter, a semi-finalist in Berlin last week, recovered a 3-1 deficit to edge out Mark Allen 5-4 win a top break of 86. Pang impressed in a 5-1 win over Shaun Murphy, firing runs of 73, 134 and 130.
Ronnie head a great friendship with John Virgo and shared this on X:
My thoughts are with John’s family and friends in these difficult moments. I had the privilege to meet John a few times at exhibition events. He knew a lot about his sport that he loved deeply, he was friendly and very funny and he still could play a bit despite various physical issues.
I wonder if the Angels welcomed John in Paradise with his favourite question: “Where is the cue ball going?” 1… that would be fitting and I’m sure he’d love that.
The 2026 World Grand Prix started in earnest today, with four matches. All the players involved have earned their spot by playing well in the first part of the season which means that they are playing fairly well and only two tables in operation in the early rounds, it’s easy to follow the action. It’s quality and it’s enjoyable.
Given how all those players have earned their spot most matches are “competitive” and there is no real “shock”. Jet-lag though may be a factor in some matches, especially in the early rounds.
Anyway … here is what happened today as reported by WST
World Grand Prix 2026 Day One – First Session Round-Up
China’s Xiao Guodong enjoyed an impressive 5-2 win over Kyren Wilson in the opening session of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, a result which means that the Masters champion will not be in the field for this month’s Players Championship.
Within the past two seasons, Xiao has established himself as an elite performer, winning the Wuhan Open back to back. He showed his quality again on his Masters debut last month when he beat Mark Selby in the first round, and today the 36-year-old collected another scalp with victory over world number two Wilson.
Despite winning the Masters – snooker’s biggest invitation event – Wilson has struggled in ranking events this season and currently lies 18th on the one-year list. Only the top 16 on that list graduate to the Players Championship in Telford, so he will not get the chance to defend the title he won last year by beating Judd Trump 10-9 in the final.
In the spectacular Kai Tak Arena, Xiao took a 2-1 lead today with breaks of 87 and 86, sandwiching an 83 from Wilson in frame two. Xiao then came from 56-0 down to snatch the fourth frame before adding the fifth on the colours for 4-1. Wilson pulled one back but his opponent sealed the result in the next with runs of 36 and 48.
“It was very hard because Kyren is a top player, I had to keep my concentration as there were a lot of close frames,” said world number ten Xiao, who now meets Ronnie O’Sullivan or Joe O’Connor. “Everything is comfortable for us here – the food, the hotel, the competition, it’s a perfect tournament. I would like to play Ronnie next because he is my favourite player and my idol. But Joe O’Connor is also doing well. Whoever I play, I just keep my focus and try to enjoy it.”
Zhou Yuelong was another Chinese winner, beating Stephen Maguire 5-2 with a top break of 116, and he strengthens his position in the race to Telford as he is currently 16th.
Elliot Slessor came from 2-0 down to beat Stuart Bingham 5-2, while UK Champion Selby was in blistering form in a 5-0 whitewash of Aaron Hill, compiling runs of 60, 100, 82, 94 and 76.
World Grand Prix 2026 Day One – Evening Session Round Up
Having been tipped by Ronnie O’Sullivan as a future world number one, Wu Yize continued to build his reputation on the opening day of the World Grand Prix as he came from 3-1 down to beat Anthony McGill by 5-3.
Wu has broken through at the top level this season, winning his first ranking title at the International Championship in November, then reaching the semi-finals of the Masters on his debut last month.
All-time greatest O’Sullivan, speaking on the eve of this week’s tournament in Hong Kong, said: “I think Wu Yize is going to be world number one, I’d give him three years, he’s definitely going to be World Champion very soon, he’s a phenomenal player. A lot of people liken him to Paul Hunter but I think he’s more like a modern day Steve Davis.
“He’s more dynamic, more cue power, more aggressive, more scoring power but his positional play for me is on the level of Davis. I practised with him for two or three days in Hong Kong not long ago and it’s not until you practise with someone that you can really appreciate how good they are. After day two I thought ‘this kid is really special’. I’d just love to go and see him fulfil his potential as a professional. I expect him to do a lot of great things in snooker.“
From 3-1 down at the interval today, China’s 22-year-old Wu made breaks of 65 and 77 to recover to 3-3. In frame seven he potted 14 reds with blacks and had his sights on a maximum, before narrowly missing a double on the 15th red on 112. He soon wrapped up the result with an 81 in frame eight and now meets Chang Bingyu in the last 16.
Scottish Open runner-up Chang, another rising star from China, edged out Jack Lisowski 5-4. From 3-1 down, Chang recovered to 3-3, then shared the next two before winning a tense decider by clearing from the last red.
Zhang Anda scored a 5-2 defeat of Mark Williams, compiling runs of 57, 124, 76 and 75. Barry Hawkins enjoyed a 5-3 success against Ding Junhui with a top break of 141, the highest of the event so far.
Hawkins said: “Any time you beat Ding here with the support he gets is good for confidence. I was all over the place for the first four frames, cueing terribly, I was lucky to be 2-2 rather than 3-1 down. After the interval I was more aggressive and cued a lot better. I have been up and down all season, I want to be consistently getting to the later stages. It only takes one good week, a run here would be perfect timing to set me up for the rest of the season.“
I’m a big fan of Wu Yize. I liked him and the way he plays right from the first time I got to see him at the table. That said, it never came into my mind to compare Wu Yize to Steve Davis, but then, I never got the chance to watch a young Steve Davis play, whilst Ronnie literally “studied” snooker as a youngster watching the Nugget and analysing his game. He would notice, and understand, things that a numpty like me never would, that’s for sure! I just hope that such praise won’t put undue pressure on the young Wu.
As mentioned on snooker.org but bizarrely missing from the above report, Wu Yize missed the last red on a maximum attempt in frame 7. It wasn’t easy.
A player I also like but rarely fails to disappoint is Jack Lisowski … and he did it again today, He was 3-1 up on Chang Bingyu at the MSI but eventually lost in a deciding frame.😞
The 2026 Grand Prix will start tomorrow in Hong Kong, in the very early hours of the morning for most of us. As usual in China, on the eve of the tournament the Chines social media shared a few images from the players involved in the tournament.
I’m not sure where the players were taken but obviously to some mountainous place dominating the city of Hong Kong, likely at “the Peak”.
Ronnie O’Sullivan to make rare Hong Kong appearance, but plans little snooker in 2026
by Mike Chan
Ronnie O’Sullivan will make a rare competitive appearance in Hong Kong this week at the World Grand Prix, but how much more snooker he plays this season entirely depends on whether he feels like it.
The Englishman is well-known for his mercurial approach to the game, and having skipped last year’s tournament at Kai Tak Arena, this will be his first official outing in the city since taking up Hong Kong residency in 2024.
Fans might even consider themselves lucky, with the seven-time world champion saying he only had one of two more events in his diary for the rest of the year.
“I’ll maybe play in Yushan, China [for the World Open], and then maybe just the World Championships,” said O’Sullivan, who lost in the first round of the German Masters last week. “But nothing is for sure, you never know.”
The 50-year-old has only played sparingly this season, competing in just five ranking events, and lost in the first round of the UK Championship, while having more luck in Asia.
“I don’t have a problem with the UK, I don’t have a problem with anywhere,” he said. “It’s just if I feel like playing, I’ll play.
“If I don’t feel like playing, then I won’t. You know, there’s no plan or no reason, you just decide near the time if it’s something you want to do.”
On Monday, O’Sullivan was among a host of high-profile players, including Kyren Wilson, Mark Allen, reigning world champion Zhao Xintong, and Ding Junhui, who appeared at a press event at The Peak ahead of the World Grand Prix.
Zhao, whose only win this season was at the non-ranking Riyadh Season Championship, said he was still adjusting to life as a world champion.
“There was indeed some pressure slowly surfacing this season, which wasn’t something I’d thought about before,” said the world No 8. “But I actually feel that this season is a transitional period, or a learning phase, for me. I also believe that I will perform better later on.”
It will be the first time the 28-year-old from Shenzhen has played competitively in Hong Kong, and he said he was looking forward to the occasion.
“I hope I can leave behind some great memories but I won’t be aiming too high,” he said. “It’s all about enjoying the competition and giving the spectators a great experience and impression.
“I think playing here is going to feel like playing at home because of the proximity, and I have a lot of relatives and friends here. I am sure the atmosphere will be great.”
Judd Trump’s victory over Shaun Murphy in the final of the German Masters has forced organisers into a change of schedule for this week’s tournament, which begins on Tuesday.
The pair, plus beaten semi-finalists Ali Carter and defending Hong Kong champion Neal Robertson, have had to delay their arrivals.
Organisers said spectators who had hoped to see them in action could still use their tickets to attend the rescheduled match, and be able to redeem one complimentary ticket of the same value at the arena for any session between February 3 and 5.
There is nothing really new in this situation. For many years Ronnie has been picking and choosing, and has. to a lage extend played on his own terms and only when he felt ready.
Judd Trump beat Shaun Murphy by 10-4 yesterday evening to win the German Masters for the fourth time. Judd has really been the prince of the Tempodrom in this decade, emerging the champion in Berlin 4 times over the last 7 years.
Congratulations Judd Trump
Shaun must be very disappointed: he certainly wanted to win this event to honour the memory of his late friend and mentor Brandon Parker, and, maybe, he put a bit too much pressure on himself because of that. Yesterday, he never found the form that had he had shown all week and earned him his place in the Final.
But if Brandon is somewhere “up” looking down on the snooker, he is surely proud and happy to see how his “tounament-child” has grown and developed into one of the best events in the snooker calendar. When it comes to the atmosphere on the final week-end, it’s second only to the Crucible one-table setup time.
Judd Trump ended a 14-month title drought by beating Shaun Murphy 10-4 in the final of the Machineseeker German Masters at Berlin’s iconic Tempodrom.
It’s a record-extending fourth win in the event for Trump, following previous wins in 2020, 2021 and 2024. He beat Neil Robertson, Jack Lisowski and Si Jiahui in the respective title matches.
The Bristolian last captured silverware at the 2024 UK Championship and went without a title in the calendar year of 2025. He lost his last three ranking final appearances at the 2025 Players Championship, 2025 Northern Ireland Open and the 2025 UK Championship.
Trump has now won 31 ranking events in total and he’s fourth in the all-time list. Only John Higgins (33), Stephen Hendry (36) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (41) have won more in the history of snooker.
2019 World Champion Trump remains at the top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, after capturing the £100,000 top prize, having now occupied the summit for 75 weeks. Murphy also remains unmoved in seventh position.
The Magician will be disappointed not to have taken his form from previous rounds into the final. He powered past Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson by a collective scoreline of 16-2 in his previous three matches.
43-year-old Murphy would dearly have loved to win the event in tribute to his late manager and close friend Brandon Parker, who the trophy is named after. Parker was instrumental in taking the German Masters to Berlin and promoting it.
The pair emerged to a rapturous reception in a packed Tempodrom this evening, with over 2,400 expectant fans in attendance. It was Trump who held a 5-3 cushion when play got underway for the final session.
Murphy looked in a strong position to take the opening frame of the evening when he led 60-0. However, a misjudged shot by Trump fortuitiously left Murphy angled in the jaws of the green pocket. His response let Trump back in the frame and he eventually stole on the black to make it 6-3.
The tenth frame was also stolen on the black by the Ace in the Pack and a break of 68 compounded Murphy’s woes and moved Trump 8-3 up. The last frame before the mid-session also came down to the wire, with Trump taking it on the pink to get within a frame of the title.
Trump squandered his first chance to seize the trophy and it was the turn of Murphy to win on the black and stay alive at 9-4. The crowd were hungry for more snooker and roared with delight after Murphy deposited the final ball. However, it was to be a short-lived reprieve with Trump controlling a scrappy 14th to get over the line and emerge a 10-4 victor.
Shaun Murphy continued his mission to win the Brandon Parker Trophy with a 6-1 defeat of Neil Robertson to make the final of the Machineseeker German Masters in Berlin.
The Magician has only appeared in the title match at the iconic Tempodrom once previously, back in 2015 when he lost out 9-7 to Mark Selby.
Murphy is aiming to honour his close friend and former manager Parker by lifting the trophy named after him. Parker was instrumental in taking the German Masters to Berlin and promoting it, but he sadly passed away in 2020.
It has been a rapid turnaround in form for 43-year-old Murphy, who admitted he was disconsolate after suffering a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Wu Yize at the Masters, where he was defending champion. The last three rounds have seen him overcome Robertson, Kyren Wilson and Mark Allen by a collective 16-2 scoreline. Murphy will now play either Judd Trump or Ali Carter tomorrow for the £100,000 top prize.
Robertson’s hunt for a maiden German Masters triumph goes on. The Australian was runner-up to Trump in the 2020 final, but was comprehensively denied a return to the title match on this occasion.
Both players were greeted by a rapturous reception in front of over 2,400 fans as they walked out this afternoon. However, Murphy was ruthless on his charge to victory. A 122 break gave him the opener, before Robertson temporarily restored parity. Further century contributions of 102 and 106 had 2005 World Champion Murphy 3-1 up at the mid-session.
When play resumed, a further three on the bounce – including breaks of 51 and 66 – saw Murphy get himself over the line and into the final.
Murphy said: “I think whenever you go up against one of the game’s legends, which for me Neil is one of, it makes things very straightforward. You know you need to play your best. For a lot of that match I was close to my best. I had a bit of luck at the right moments and that always helps. I’m delighted to have won.
“The crowd have been so warm to me. The fans here are exceptional and they make the event. The one table set up here gives you such an ovation. It was good to play so well after all that. It is about taking the trophy home tomorrow now though.
“I get emotional thinking about Brandon all the time so the fact I’m out there playing won’t change anything. It might give me a bit of escapism actually. I’ll just concentrate on the snooker. It would be wonderful to take the Brandon Parker Trophy home. It would mean so much and possibly more to me than any other player on the tour. In Ali or Judd I have two great players stood in my way.“
World number one Judd Trump scored a comprehensive 6-2 win over Ali Carter to make the final of the Machineseeker German Masters, where he will face Shaun Murphy.
It’s a fifth final in this event for Trump, who has lifted the title a record three times in 2020, 2021 and 2024. He and Murphy will go toe to toe over the best of 19 frames tomorrow, with the Brandon Parker Trophy and a top prize of £100,000 on the line.
The Ace in the Pack is seeking to end a title drought which extends back to the 2024 UK Championship. Having failed to secure silverware in 2025, he has an early opportunity to put that right in 2026.
Trump has dominated Murphy in recent times, having won eight of their previous nine meetings. However, Murphy was victorious when they last clashed at this season’s British Open, an event the Magician went on to win.
Defeat for Carter means he falls short of another final at the iconic Tempodrom. The Captain took home the trophy in 2013 and 2023, but Trump proved to be a step too far this year.
The start of the match proved to be pivotal this evening, with 36-year-old Trump steaming out of the blocks. He pounced on some uncharacteristic Carter mistakes to make contributions of 52, 67 and 87 and lead 4-0 at the interval.
After play resumed Carter battled back into contention, with two on the bounce to cut his arrears in half and trail 4-2. Trump crucially stopped the fightback by claiming a tight seventh to lead 5-2 and got over the line to reach the 52nd ranking final of his career.
“Ali missed a couple early on and I think in the end missed one too many and I was able to punish him and put him under pressure. He always puts up a fight and tries to the very end. He made it difficult at 4-2, but I managed to nick the last two,” said 30-time ranking event winner Trump.
“It is an incredible arena so whenever you play in a semi-final or a final here it is a real privilege to be out there. It is always nice to perform well in that environment.
“Shaun has been brilliant throughout. He has won a lot of comfortable games and he has scored very heavily. I will have to perform like I have so far and my safety will need to be good. It should be an incredible final.
“Any tournament you can win multiple times, you have a different feeling when you turn up. This is one that is positioned just after the Masters and I always look forward to it. This tournament brings the best out of me and is why I have such a good record here.“
It is indeed an incredible arena when we are down to one table and the German fans are enthusiast but respectful of the players. They appreciate what they get to see.
Yesterday saw the quarter-finals round played to a conclusion at the Tempodrom in Berlin. They yielded a very strong semi-finals line-up: Shaun Murphy vs Neil Robertson and Judd Trump v Ali Carter. Ali Carter is the only player ranked outside the top 16 still in the competition but he has a very good record in this event and he’s more than capable to win it.
Only one table stays in operation and this is when the Tempodrom is at its best.
Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter eased past Kyren Wilson and Stuart Bingham respectively to make the semi-finals of the Machineseeker German Masters in Berlin.
2005 World Champion Murphy has been in tremendous form already this week, having only dropped four frames en route to the semis. He demolished former Masters and UK Champion Mark Allen 5-0 in the last 16.
Wilson won the Masters earlier this month and was victorious at the Shanghai Masters at the beginning of the season. However, both of those are invitational events and don’t count towards his ranking. As a result he heads to the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong knowing he is yet to earn a place at the Players Championship, which he won last year. Only the top 16 performers across this season’s ranking events earn a spot.
Murphy’s Masters campaign ended in disappointment after tumbling out in the first round of his title defence against Si Jiahui. However, he quickly took a stranglehold on this afternoon’s encounter.
Breaks of 78, 101, 68 and 58 helped him into a 4-0 lead at the mid-session interval. When play resumed a stunning total clearance of 139 kept Wilson alive. An element of tension was then injected into proceedings when frame six came down to the colours. Murphy eventually cracked in a brilliant long brown and cleared to the pink to get over the line. He now faces Neil Robertson
The Magician is delighted with his form so far this week and determined to win the event for a first time and honour former manager and close friend Brandon Parker, who the trophy is named after. Parker was instrumental in bringing this event to Berlin and promoting it.
“These results have been totally unexpected. Whether I win 5-4 on the black or 5-0 it doesn’t matter to me. I’m just happy to still be in this great tournament. It is one of the few events which I haven’t won during my career. It would mean a lot to go on and lift the trophy on Sunday night. I’ve come here on a bit of a mission,” said 43-year-old Murphy.
“This is one of the best atmospheres in all of our sport. The atmosphere at Ally Pally and the Crucible, when they go down to one table, is incredible. This comes very close. The crowd are always packed. It will be brilliant out there.
“I’m going to try and not make the mistake I made against Stephen Maguire here all those years ago. My friend and manager, Brandon, said to get the crowd onside. I got all involved in the walk on and lost 6-0. I’ll try not to do that tomorrow!“
Carter continued his tremendous record in Berlin with a 5-1 triumph against 2015 World Champion Bingham.
The Captain is a two-time champion here and captured the title in 2013 and 2023. He was also runner-up to Anthony Hamilton in 2017.
Carter top scored with 137 this afternoon and now moves on to face world number one Judd Trump for a place in the final.
Judd Trump and Neil Robertson scored wins on Friday night to book their places in the single table semi-finals of the Machineseeker German Masters in Berlin.
World number one Trump battled to a hard fought 5-3 win over back-to-back Wuhan Open champion Xiao Guodong.
The Ace in the Pack is gunning to end a trophy drought which extends back to the 2024 UK Championship and meant he went the entire calendar year of 2025 without a win.
This weekend provides a big opportunity for Trump to add to his trophy cabinet early on in 2026, given he is the most successful player in German Masters history. The 36-year-old captured the title in 2020, 2021 and 2024.
Trump raced out of the blocks this evening in front of a packed Tempodrom crowd. Breaks of 65 and 107 gave him an early 2-0 advantage, but Xiao replied in kind with runs of 104 and 62 to head in for the mid-session all square at 2-2.
The Chinese cueman took the frame when play resumed and took the lead for the first time, but it would turn out to also be the last. Trump powered to the finish with contributions of 105, 53 and 69 to run out a 5-3 victor. Next up is two-time German Masters winner Ali Carter, who Trump believes needs a big stage like the Tempodrom arena to thrive.
“I think Ali over the years has been someone that has been guilty of not getting up for some of the events. I’m maybe the opposite. When he comes here and the World Championship, he seems to find another gear. It takes something special to do that. When you are at tournaments you love you need to not try too hard. He loves the big occasion,” said 30-time ranking event winner Trump.
“I say every year this is one of the top two or three events we come to. It is not every event we get to compete in front of this many people. It is special. Tonight was a bit of a taster. We were the last table on and the crowd was bigger than earlier on in the week. It is going to be great tomorrow.
“It was a tough game tonight and I didn’t feel I did a lot wrong. We both played to a good standard. I feel a bit tired now as it took a lot of concentration out there to get the job done.”
Robertson progressed with a 5-1 demolition of his namesake Jimmy Robertson to set up a blockbuster semi-final against Shaun Murphy.
The Australian is aiming to lift the Brandon Parker Trophy for the first time in his career, as is tomorrow’s opponent Murphy. Both players carry an imposing presence around the table and Robertson is ready for the challenge Murphy poses.
Robertson said: “All of the top players have their own kind of aura around the table. Each one is just as imposing as the other. I like to see that. It spurs me on to play better. When you see the top players strutting round the table, it inspires you to play really well too. We are both very attacking players and great long potters. The key is maybe who can pot great balls to get in or the safety.”
Here is the report shared by WST on what happened in Berlin on day 4 at the 2026 German Masters:
Machineseeker German Masters Day Four
Shaun Murphy continued his quest for a maiden Machineseeker German Masters title with a blistering 5-0 victory against Mark Allen in Berlin.
The Magician is a former losing finalist, at the hands of Mark Selby, in 2015. However, since then he’s failed to reach the title match. Victory here this week would be particularly meaningful for Murphy.
The trophy is named after his close friend Brandon Parker, who sadly passed away in 2020. Parker played an instrumental role in bringing snooker to Berlin working as a tournament promotor for the German Masters and making the event what it is today.
The signs heading into this week weren’t hugely encouraging for 13-time ranking event winner Murphy. He exited the Masters in the opening round of his title defence earlier this month and afterwards admitted the 6-2 loss against Wu Yize hit him hard.
However, today was the 2005 World Champion at his imperious best. Breaks of 125, 74, 75 and 62 helped him to victory and booked a mouth watering quarter-final with recently crowned Masters champion Kyren Wilson.
“5-0 wins over Mark Allen don’t come along every day. It was a really good match, certainly from my point of view. I thought the conditions caught us both out. It was the quickest table I’ve ever played on in my life. Controlling the cue ball isn’t always easy. Mark missed a few shots and that gave me the chance to get used to the speed quicker,” said 43-year-old Murphy.
“I was very disappointed after the Masters, not just because of the loss but how I played. It was totally inexplicable. My preparation was second to none and I worked very hard on my game. I’ve come here this week feeling the same as I did for Ally Pally but thankfully I’ve strung a few wins together.
“It would be very special to win this week. We all remember Brandon and the contribution he made to snooker. He is sorely missed. It would be lovely to take the Brandon Parker Trophy home. There are some great players left in the tournament. I won’t be getting ahead of myself just yet.”
Defending champion Wilson came from 2-0 down to beat Zhang Anda 5-2 and earn his spot in the last eight.
Wilson lifted the title here at the Tempodrom last year after a thrilling 10-9 win over Barry Hawkins in the final. He needs another significant run this week. With two events to go, he is currently outside of the qualifying spots for the Sportsbet.io Players Championship, where he is hoping to defend his title.
Only the top 16 on the Sportsbet.io One one-year-list earn a place in Telford and Wilson’s two big wins this season, at the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, were invitational tournaments.
Wilson said: “I’m definitely chasing the points. That is for sure. There is a little bit of pressure on me this week. I’m coping well so far. It will be a tough game with Shaun. He is a great player and a great champion.“
Neil Robertson thrashed Ishpreet Singh Chadha 5-0 and now faces former European Masters winner Jimmy Robertson, who was a 5-2 victor against former Crucible finalist Jak Jones.
World number one Judd Trump emerged a 5-2 victor against two-time ranking finalist Si Jiahui and now faces Xiao Guodong, who overcame John Higgins 5-3 with the clock beyond midnight.
Ali Carter prevailed 5-0 against Xu Si and faces fellow Essex cueman Stuart Bingham after his 5-2 defeat of Tom Ford.
I will admit to it… I didn’t watch any of the action. My heart wasn’t in it. Not because Ronnie is out, because the mentality of some so-called “fans”. In sport, no matter who you are, there is no “divine right to win” and giving it your best on the day is no guarantee for success1. Also, every (sports)person has good and bad days, and, alas, as the (sports)person ages bad days occur more often. It’s the natural course of things… and not just in sport BTW, in life in general which is why I put those parenthesis in the previous sentence. Generally, we do not know what happens in other people’s life and, therefore, we should refrain to judge. Losing a snooker match is hardly “murder” …
But back to the topic of the day. Shaun will always bring back the memories about Brandon Parker and remind everyone what Brandon did for the sport in mainland Europe. I had the privilege to get to know Brandon, to travel to tournaments with him and Shaun. These were mainly exhibition tournaments in mainland Europe, and a good few of them were held in Germany. That’s how Brandon “discovered” the Tempodrom. He immediately saw its potential. On the next exhibition event Brandon organised there he invited Jason Ferguson who saw that potential too, and felt the very special atmosphere of that unique arena … that’s how it started and it’s only right that the trophy is named after Brandon.
On some days … your honest best might actually not be good at all, for any number of reasons. We have all been there. ↩︎
Ronnie O'Sullivan 