The qualifying dates for the Nirvana Turkish Masters have been confirmed – the qualifying round will run from February 2 to 6 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester. Players will need to win one match to make it through to the final stages in Antalya in March. Matches involving the top four seeds plus the two local wild cards will be held over and played at the final venue.
All matches up to and including the quarter-finals will be best of nine frames, with the semi-finals best of 11 frames and the final best of 17 frames.
The qualifying round for the BetVictor Welsh Open will run from February 15 to 20 at Aldersley Village in Wolverhampton.
The part I have put in blue gives me hope that Ronnie might play in this one. It’s a best-of-nine based format, which I like.
Four players have withdrawn from the BetVictor Shoot Out, which runs from January 20 to 23 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Ng On Yee has withdrawn and been replaced by Haydon Pinhey Sam Craigie has withdrawn been replaced by Simon Blackwell Hammad Miah has withdrawn and been replaced by Mark Lloyd Kurt Maflin has withdrawn and been replaced by Billy Castle
Ever-present on the calendar since 2011, the tournament has a unique format, with every match lasting a maximum of ten minutes. Tickets for the world ranking event are on sale now and start at just £15 – for details click here.
Top stars including Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, Zhao Xintong, Ding Junhui, Mark Allen, Luca Brecel and defending champion Ryan Day are all in the 128-player field.
I couldn’t care less but still hope that On Yee withdrawal is only for this and not an indication of further travel restrictions preventing her to compete this season.
The WPBSA and Peter Lines Disciplinary Hearing Finding.
After a complaint made to the WPBSA by WST and another Member, Peter Lines was charged with breaches of the WPBSA Members Rules following his match with Xiao Guodong at the 2021 Northern Ireland Open Qualifiers.
The allegation was that Mr Lines took issue with Mr Xiao over incidents in this match. After the match Mr Lines confronted Mr Xiao in the Players Lounge at the venue and accused him of cheating and swore at him. As Mr Lines was removed from the lounge by security, he asked Mr Xiao to go outside with him. Mr Xiao said he was in fear that he was going to be attacked by Mr Lines.
Soon after the incident Mr Lines apologised to Mr Xiao for his conduct after the match.
The case was heard on 16th December 2021 by the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee, which consists of three members who are independent from the WPBSA. The virtual hearing was attended by Mr Lines who accepted the facts in part.
On 13th January 2022 the Disciplinary Committee published its finding and decision on sanction. The Committee found that the breaches of WPBSA Members Rules 1.1 and 1.3 were proven in full. In making their decision on sanction the Committee took into account the early apology made by Mr Lines to Mr Xiao and Mr Lines’ unblemished career in snooker. Following the disciplinary hearing, the Committee decided that the appropriate sanction was a fine of £2,500.
Mr Lines was further ordered to pay costs of £5,464.80.
Mr Lines has until 28th January 2022 to appeal the decision of the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee.
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Appendix 1
WPBSA Members Rules extracts:
1.1 Members shall, at all times (i.e. whether at a Tournament or not), behave in a proper and correct manner consistent with their status as professional sportsmen.
1.3 A Member shall not make or cause to be made any statement or commit or cause to be committed any act which in the reasonable view of the WPBSA is likely to bring into disrepute the games of snooker and/or billiards.
Neil Robertson avenged last month Worl Grand Prix defeat by beating Ronnie by 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Masters.
Here are the scores and the stats:
It was a good match overall, although Ronnie wasn’t at his best. The telling number in the above stats is the 50% long pot success. That was Ronnie’s undoing mainly. It also dragged down his overall pot success. He was well better than 88% pot success when in the balls.
Neil’s positional game wasn’t great – it’s not really Neil’s biggest strength – but his potting was out of this world at times so it mattered little.
Ten years after winning the title for the first time, Neil Robertson boosted his hopes of another Cazoo Masters crown with a 6-4 victory over seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals.
…
Robertson has now won ten out of 28 career meetings with O’Sullivan
The majority of a 2,000-strong crowd at Alexandra Palace had hoped to see O’Sullivan march towards an eighth title, but he was never in front against Robertson, who eventually pulled away from 4-4 to take the last two frames. For the Australian, it was a measure of revenge as he lost 10-8 to O’Sullivan in last month’s Cazoo World Grand Prix final.
World number four Robertson, who turns 40 next month, is the first man into the semi-finals in London and will face either John Higgins or Mark Williams on Saturday afternoon. Having been knocked out in the first round of this event in both 2020 and 2021, he is now just two wins away from the £250,000 top prize.
Robertson took a 2-0 lead with breaks of 119 and 56, then O’Sullivan hit back, dominating the third frame and taking the fourth with a run of 66. O’Sullivan had a chance to snatch the fifth from 50-0 down but missed a close-range pot on the penultimate red to a centre pocket on 29, allowing his opponent to regain the lead.
In frame six, Robertson was on 37 when he failed to convert a tough long red to a baulk corner, and O’Sullivan punished him with a 102, his 80th career century at the Masters. Once again the Englishman fell behind, missing a red to top corner early in frame seven which let Robertson in for a superb 130 to lead 4-3.
Robertson is into the semi-finals of the Masters for the fifth time
There were two scoring chances for Robertson early in frame eight but he mustered just 32 points, and O’Sullivan replied with 68 for 4-4. Runs of 43 and 49 from Robertson saw him take the lead for the fourth occasion. And this time he made the advantage count, as a run of 54 gave him control of frame ten. O’Sullivan had one final chance to fight back, but made just 6 before missing a mid-range red, and that proved his last shot.
“I saw the stats after the match and my pot success was 96% which is incredibly high in such a high pressure environment,” said 2010 World Champion Robertson. “I’m really proud of myself, the way I managed to pull through. Ronnie wouldn’t go away, very much like our final in Coventry where he kept hanging on.
“When you play Ronnie here, you need to show what you can do when you get chances. The crowd were complimentary when I was making breaks, but of course most of them are supporting Ronnie. You have to stay calm, think positive and don’t take it personally that they are cheering for their hero. He has absolutely earned that through the decades he has been on top of the game.
“I have ultimate respect for Ronnie and I have come to his defence a few times where I have seen where he was coming from. He has always been really good with me, win or lose. It makes for great matches when you have two players who respect each other so much, there’s no needle between us.
“This is an event I haven’t won for a while, I got to a couple of finals after I won it in 2012. I would love to go that step further and put myself in position to win another one.”
O’Sullivan, who bit the tip off his cue at the end of the match, said: “Good luck to Neil, I hope he does well. My mindset is that I don’t care too much whether I win or lose and I am not going to change that – even when I won the event in Coventry last month I didn’t get too excited about it.”
Here are some images, including the tip biting moment … poor tip!
MASTERS 2022 – NEIL ROBERTSON HOLDS NERVE TO BEAT RONNIE O’SULLIVAN AND BOOK PLACE IN SEMI-FINALS AT ALEXANDRA PALACE
Neil Robertson and Ronnie O’Sullivan locked horns at the Aexandra Palace for a place in the semi-finals of the Masters, O’Sullivan got the better of the Australian when the pair met in the final of the World Grand Prix in Coventry towards the end of last year. On this occasion, it was the Australian who secured victory.
Neil Robertson exacted revenge for his recent loss to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final of the World Grand Prix with a 6-4 victory in the quarter-finals of the Masters.
The Australian could not withstand a late assault from O’Sullivan in Coventry before Christmas, but on this occasion he secured an early lead and fended off a fightback to prevail.
Two centuries were the highlights for Robertson, but of greater significance was how he kept fending off a player who has often found a way of putting him under the cosh at the business end of matches.
O’Sullivan made a cagey start, as a wild missed pot and poor safety handed Robertson a chance and he set his stall out with a break of 119 to take the opener.
Despite ultimately running out an impressive winner against Jack Lisowski, OSullivan made a nervous start in the first round. It was a similar theme against Robertson, as he saw a red into left middle hit the far knuckle and shortly afterwards missed a long red by a distance. The second miss proved costly, as Robertson crafted a break of 56 to move two frames ahead.
O’Sullivan had been kept cold for two frames, and a huge roar greeted the Rocket’s first successful pot – after 35 minutes of playing time. It earned him a solitary point, as he did not drop on a colour. But a good safety earned him a chance a short while later and he did enough to get on the board.
Robertson looked sure to head into the interval with a two-frame cushion, but he missed a red into the left middle with the balls well split. O’Sullivan, buoyed by taking the previous frame, knocked in a 66 to draw level.
The fifth felt like one that got away from O’Sullivan as he mounted a counter to Robertson’s break of 50, but missed the penultimate red – seemingly focused on position for the final red – and the 2012 champion edged back in front.
Robertson has been guilty of over-thinking things, and that appeared the case in the sixth. He was in the balls and seemingly well set, but took an age over a black and when he eventually executed the pot, he finished awkwardly on the following red. It wriggled in the jaws of the green pocket, and the Rocket punished with a break of 102 – his 80th Masters century.
The seventh was an adventure for Robertson, as he visited areas of the table he did not want to go anywhere near. But he kept pulling out top-class pots, and the 808th century of his career put him back in front once again.
The pattern of the match was similar to the World Grand Prix, as Robertson made the running but could not shake off O’Sullivan.
Robertson got in first in the eighth, but broke down and O’Sullivan countered brilliantly and a break of 68 was enough to bring him back on level terms, despite frustratingly dropping out of position at one stage.
The Australian took the ninth to move within one frame of the semi-finals and unlike in the World Grand Prix, Robertson was able to get over the line.
It was not done without drama, as he missed a routine brown off its spot when on 54. O’Sullivan’s counter was short-lived, and Robertson knocked in a pressure red to left middle and it helped him get over the line.
O’Sullivan has said he was not disappointed by the defeat, but would have liked to have pushed Robertson harder.
“I tried to make as much of it as I could,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport. “I tried to hang in there and do what I could. I am not too disappointed, it’s the way it goes sometimes.
“You set yourself to have a certain mentality towards something, so you can’t change your mind halfway through it. I’ve decided how I want to feel about how any of my games go.
“I am not as disappointed as I would be a few years ago, or most players would be on the circuit.
“I play for different reasons and I enjoy it and I enjoyed being out there today, it’s just a shame I could not find a good enough game which would have deserved to win.”
As a seven-time Masters and UK Champion and a world champion on six occasions, O’Sullivan holds most of the major records in the game and said it is nice to mention that on occasions.
““It is a good target for someone to chase, they have to chase that record, the Triple Crowns, the Masters, the UK,” O’Sullivan said. “I have not got the worlds, [Stephen] Hendry has that one, but I am chasing that one so it is good for everybody else to go for.
“I am not big headed, I am not someone who likes to blow smoke out of my whatever it is. But sometimes the statistics say everything and sometimes you have to remind yourself and everybody else that I have set pretty much every target to achieve in the game. Hendry did it in the 80s and 90s and [Steve] Davis, and I am pleased to be in that bracket, but I still like to enjoy playing.”
Here is the last frame of the match
And Ronnie’s post-match interview
Mark Williams beat John Higgins in the evening match. The reception that the players got was incredible, really something extraordinary. It probably was even louder than the Crucible reception for Judd Trump and John Higgins before their last session of the 2011 final, and, believe me, that was deafening! The match went to a decider.
Mark Williams edged out fellow ‘Class of 92’ member John Higgins 6-5, in what he described as an unforgettable atmosphere, to reach the semi-finals of the Cazoo Masters at Alexandra Palace.
This evening’s encounter was the 41st clash between the pair, who hold 55 ranking titles between them. Victory for 24-time ranking event winner Williams sees him reduce his head-to-head arrears to just one at 21-20 to 31-time ranking event winner Higgins.
Williams now faces Neil Robertson in the last four on Saturday. It will be the first time he has graced a Masters semi-final since 2010. The Welshman last won the Masters when he claimed the title for a second time 19 years ago in 2003.
Higgins will have to continue his wait for a first Masters title since 2006. The four-time World Champion was Masters runner-up to Yan Bingtao 12 months ago.
Glasgow’s Higgins has enjoyed a fine season so far, but today’s loss joins a string of gut-wrenching deciding frame defeats during the campaign. He lost Northern Ireland Open and English Open finals 9-8 at the hands of Mark Allen and Robertson respectively.
The two 46-year-old competitors were given a standing ovation by a raucous North London crowd when they emerged this evening. Higgins hit the ground running with a break of 126 to take the opener and lead 1-0. He extended his advantage by claiming the second on the pink to move 2-0 up.
Williams warmed to the task and a break of 116 helped him get his first frame on the board. He then took the fourth to restore parity at 2-2.
When play resumed they traded frames, before Williams composed a run of 66 to edge ahead at 4-3. The high standard relentlessly continued in the eighth, with Higgins drawing level thanks to a break of 127.
It had looked as if Higgins would be the first to move a frame from victory. He was going along nicely on a break of 43 when he inadvertently knocked a red in when developing the pack from the black. Williams ruthlessly stepped up and fired in a contribution of 78 to go 5-4 up.
Higgins refused to buckle and a break of 61 ensured that the nearly 2,000 strong crowd would be treated to a deciding frame. Both players left the arena to compose themselves and when they returned they were greeted by a second standing ovation. However, it was Williams who was the last man standing in the middle as he crafted a nerveless run of 91 to run out a 6-5 victor.
“That’s the best reception I’ve ever had in 30 years as a professional. I’ve had some good atmospheres, but that was electric. It felt like they were applauding for ten minutes before we could even break off. Coming out for the final frame they were doing it again,” said three-time World Champion Williams.
“I’ve got nothing but respect for John. He’s not my rival anymore and he hasn’t been for a few years now. When we were youngsters I really wanted to win, it’s not like that anymore. It is a special occasion every time I play him.
“I’ll never forget the atmosphere in there tonight. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve got to thank the crowd for making that atmosphere, because I wasn’t expecting it. That was unbelievable. If I could go out and shake every one of their hands I would.”
Higgins said: “That was one of the best nights in my snooker career, with the atmosphere. Rob Walker got the crowd into a frenzy when I played Judd Trump in the 2011 world final, but this was noisier because there were more fans in there. Rob did a great job getting the crowd whipped up and they were treated to a great game.
“I’m not even gutted, because I gave it everything and I just wasn’t good enough in the end. I am just delighted that the crowd had a great match. I had a great match and I loved playing out there. It is great to be back playing at Ally Pally.”
It was a clash of styles, as it always it between these two.
I was also another instance of a strange pattern that heas been there throughout the “Class of 92” career: John Higgins has the upper hand on Ronnie, Ronnie has it on Mark Williams, and Willo has it on John Higgins. It’s hard to be sure why.
For what it’s worth (not much) the only explanation I can see to the Higgins-Williams situation is that Willo’s unconventional game gets John out of his “patterns” and out of his comfort zone.
Mark Williams will now face Neil Robertson on Saturday and it should be another great match.
Despite Ronnie’s defeat, and a powercut depriving me of watching the afternoon match live from the MSI on, I enjoyed both matches.
Today the other half of the draw is in action. I’m not particularly enthralled…
World Champion Mark Selby won a Cazoo Masters match for the first time in three years, securing a 6-3 defeat of Stephen Maguire at Alexandra Palace to book a quarter-final meeting with close friend Barry Hawkins.
The Jester from Leicester is a three-time Masters winner, but hasn’t made it to the semi-finals since 2014 when he was runner-up. He last won the event back in 2013, by defeating Neil Robertson in the final.
Despite occupying the summit of the world rankings, Selby is still aiming to hit top form this season. He landed a fourth World Championship crown last May, beating Shaun Murphy 18-15 in an enthralling Crucible final. Since then he has only reached semis of a ranking event on one occasion, at the Cazoo World Grand Prix in December.
Selby now holds a 10-8 advantage over Maguire in the pair’s head-to-head record. Today’s win avenges an opening round Masters loss at the hands of Maguire 12 months ago. Selby also exited at the first hurdle to Ali Carter in 2020.
A ferociously contested opening frame set the tone for the encounter this evening. They slogged it out for 45-minutes, before Selby eventually moved 1-0 ahead.
Maguire then swiftly levelled proceedings with a break of 87. They then shared the following two frames to head into the mid-session level at 2-2.
When play resumed Selby edged ahead once more, before winning the sixth with a break of 64 to make it 4-2.
Selby then won the seventh on the colours to move a frame from victory. Maguire provided some resistance by firing in a contribution of 84 to make it 5-3. However, it was to no avail as Selby ran out a 6-3 winner by taking the following frame.
“I didn’t feel as though I played fantastically, but I didn’t miss ball after ball,” said 38-year-old Selby. “It was a tough game. It was always going to be that way against Stephen as he is a class act.
“Barry is probably one of my best friends on the tour. I get on with everyone, but when we are at tournaments we are always texting each other to go out for food. He stays at mine and I stay at his when we are practising. He is a great lad and a great player.
“Walking out there tonight was a great atmosphere. It would have been a shame to lose tonight and be sat at home watching the rest of it. That isn’t the case. I have another few days here and I’ll look forward to Friday night against Barry.”
Judd Trump made a fantastic match-winning break in the deciding frame as he beat Mark Allen 6-5 in the best tie of this year’s Cazoo Masters so far at Alexandra Palace.
Trump missed this event last year after testing positive for Covid but returned in superb style this time, coming from 25 points down in the last frame to make a crucial 62 which gave him victory. He is through to the quarter-finals of this event for the sixth time and will face either Kyren Wilson or Stuart Bingham on Friday afternoon.
Trump won the Masters in 2019 when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final
“To get a chance in the last frame and stay calm, keeping position all the time, makes me proud,” said world number two Trump. “I’m so happy to be back out there playing, missing last year was really tough. I wanted to show the crowd how much it means to me and I think they really warmed to that.
“This is on a different level to the UK Championship – no disrespect to that event. The atmosphere here from the very start, just watching it on TV over the last few days I was excited to drive up here. I was desperate to get through because all the top players are in the field.”
The Ace in the Pack has already landed one huge invitation title this season, winning the Cazoo Champion of Champions in November, and is among the favourites for the crown this time.
Allen had won eight of the previous 11 meetings between the pair but will rue missed opportunities at crucial stages of today’s clash.
It was heavy scoring in the opening exchanges as Trump made two breaks of 101, sandwiching a run of 92 from Allen to leave the score at 2-1. In frame four, Trump trailed by 11 points when he was trapped in a tough snooker on the last red, and his attempted escape left the red over a top corner, allowing Allen to level at 2-2.
Allen was playing in this event for the 14th consecutive time
A break of 88 gave Bristol’s Trump the lead for the third time, but once again Northern Ireland’s Allen hit back, making a 65 for 3-3. A scrappy seventh frame came down to the last two reds and Trump, 37 points behind, was unable to safely execute a slow roll to the reds on the top cushion, handing Allen the opportunity to go 4-3 ahead.
In frame eight, Allen led by 37 points with one red left, but failed to escape from a snooker, and then went in-off as he attempted safety. Trump’s clearance included a fantastic long pot on the pink to a top corner, and he pumped his fist as the black dropped. A cracking long red, to the same baulk corner, set Trump up for a 135 as he edged 5-4 ahead and set a new target for the £15,000 high break prize. A fragmented tenth frame went Allen’s way thanks to breaks of 18 and 38 as he set up the decider.
Allen had first chance and made 23 before calling a foul on himself as he bridged over the pack. He had one more opportunity but missed a mid-range red on 6, and that proved his last meaningful shot, as Trump took control.
“It was a great break in the last frame,” said 2019 World Champion Trump. “I felt like the stronger player but maybe that was just because I scored more heavily. Mark played well too, he kept it tight.”
Asked about his fist-pump in frame eight, Trump added: “Usually I am super calm and keep my emotions in check. You don’t want to do that and then lose the match. I saw Shaun Murphy celebrating in a similar way at the Crucible, he didn’t mean any disrespect by doing it. I was so excited, it would have been worse if I had kept all that nervous energy inside.”
Allen said: “I just wanted a chance in the last frame and got two so I’m disappointed not to take one of them. And earlier at 4-3 I missed the second-last red when I was 45 points ahead, that would have put me 5-3 up. But overall Judd was the better player and I was just proud of myself to hang in there and get to 5-5, I didn’t have my best stuff. At 5-5 I always back myself, it focusses my mind and I felt calm. But it just didn’t go my way this time.”
Kyren Wilson prevented history from repeating itself as he held off a Stuart Bingham fightback to win a thrilling opening round clash 6-5 at the Cazoo Masters.
The match mirrored Wilson and Bingham’s other Masters meeting at Alexandra Palace in 2020. On that occasion Bingham rallied from 4-1 down to win 6-4 and went on to win the title. The Essex cueman mounted a similar fightback this evening, but was eventually edged out by Kettering’s Wilson.
Former World Championship and Masters finalist Wilson is still seeking his maiden Triple Crown title. He will now renew hostilities with 2019 Masters and Crucible winner Judd Trump in the last eight. The pair met in a famous Masters semi-final in 2018, where Wilson won 6-5. He was denied the title by Mark Allen in the final.
Bingham was making his first appearance at the North London venue since winning the Paul Hunter Trophy in 2020. His title defence was forced behind closed doors in Milton Keynes 12 months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. He will be disappointed to leave Alexandra Palace after an agonising deciding frame defeat on his return.
Wilson made an electric start this evening to charge into a commanding lead. The Warrior fired in runs of 57, 82 and 79 to move 3-0 ahead. Bingham remained in touch at the mid-session with a break of 96 to make it 3-1.
When play resumed Wilson extended his lead to 4-1 with a break of 83. The match then turned on its head in a dramatic sixth frame. Wilson had a chance to make a frame winning break when he honourably declared a foul on himself on the final red. Bingham pounced with a break of 20 to reduce his arrears.
Bingham then turned up the heat by claiming the seventh and he restored parity with the tournament’s highest break so far, a run of 139, to make it 4-4. Wilson showed his resolve to edge a frame from victory, but Bingham refused to wilt and a sublime 132 helped him to force a decider.
It was Bingham who had the first chance in the final frame, but he spurned a straightforward pink to the left middle on 31. Wilson edged his way back into the frame and it was decided by a battle on the yellow. Eventually he deposited a fine long range pot and clinched the tie on the final pink.
“I thought it was a fantastic match to be a part of. Feathering the white was a big turning point and that got Stuart back into the game. I was completely in control and sometimes these little things turn matches,” said 30-year-old Wilson.
“Snooker is renowned for being a gentleman’s sport. Honesty is always the best policy. As I was going up to the white I wasn’t sure if I had touched it, but my initial instinct was to get up.
“What happened two years ago was really in my mind. I am a little bit stronger than I was then. I probably let it get to me because he started to get the crowd on his side. The same thing happened tonight and the crowd got on his side. I am delighted I managed to keep myself in the present and keep myself composed to go on and get the win.
“It is going to be a tough match. Judd has done the same as me today to win a decider. We will both feel like we have an extra life after that. I will really look forward to the match.”
Bingham said: “I am absolutely gutted. The match had everything and it was great to be involved in. I had my chance in the decider and missed an easy pink in the middle. That is what it comes down to.
“At 4-1 he wasn’t missing. I knew that I felt good about my game. I am gutted because I felt like I could have had another nice run. Fair play to Kyren, he held himself together at the end there.”
The only of those three matches I watched entirely was the afternoon match between Mark Allen and Judd Trump. Mark should have gone 5-3 ahead and I’m pretty confident he would have won from there. Judd needed a snooker in frame eighth and he looked rattled. It all turned on one shot mainly. Mark went for a red that would almost certainly have given him that frame had it gone in, but it didn’t and that opened the opportunity for Judd to lay a telling snooker. Credit to Judd though, he took his chance and played well from there.
The first frame between Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire allowed us to see a side of Maguire’s game that is seldom on display. When wants it, he’s a very, very good tactician but, he rarely has the patience for that type of game. Despite his efforts he ended up losing that frame though. By the time they finished the second frame it was nearly 11 pm where I am…
The quarter-finals start today and 7 of the 8 players still in the draw are in the top 8 in the rankings. The only member of the rankings top 8 missing is Shaun Murphy who is suffering from injuries.
Ronnie expressed the opinion that WST should organise more “Elite” tournaments like this one. I can understand where is is coming from: the Masters is high quality, great for the fans, great for the sponsors, great for the broadcasters and a fantastic advert for snooker. But you can’t sustain a sport relying on just a 16 players’ elite field. WST has to look after all their players and offering them opportunities to earn a living from their sport.
Ronnie beat Jack Lisowski comprehensively yesterday in their last 16 match at Alexandra Palace. Ronnie admitted feeling very nervous at the start of the match, but found his form from frame 3 on.
Here are the scores
Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones was in the crowd and the players walk-on was quite something
Jumpin’ Jack Lisowski was gone in a flash as Ronnie O’Sullivan stormed to a 6-1 win in the first round of the Cazoo Masters, with his friend from the Rolling Stones looking on.
Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, pictured with wife Sally, is a lifelong snooker fan
Legendary guitarist Ronnie Wood was just a few feet from the table on the VIP sofas at Alexandra Palace as O’Sullivan eased into the quarter-finals. On Thursday afternoon he will face Neil Robertson, a repeat of last month’s Cazoo World Grand Prix final when O’Sullivan came from 7-5 down to win 10-8, giving him his first title in 16 months
The Rocket has won the Masters a record seven times and always has the raucous support of the London fans behind him, and while You Can’t Always Get What You Want, his supporters will already be dreaming of their man lifting the trophy for an eighth time next Sunday night.
Lisowski has now played in the Masters three times and won just four frames, having struggled to show off his talent in one of snooker’s biggest arenas. He had chances early in today’s match to put pressure on his opponent, but didn’t take them and the contest slipped away.
The Gloucestershire cueman had an opportunity chance to take the opener but missed a red to a top corner at 24-25 and O’Sullivan won the frame in two more scoring visits. A superb run of 104 gave Lisowski the second frame, then in the third he led 25-22 when he missed a thin cut on the green to a baulk corner. That proved a turning point as O’Sullivan made 86 to lead 2-1. Lisowski failed to score a point in the next two frames as breaks of 63 and 127 from O’Sullivan made it 4-1.
In the sixth, O’Sullivan missed a difficult red to a top corner on a break of 64, and Lisowski was on target for an excellent clearance until he over-cut the last red to a centre pocket on 38. A tremendous long pot on the red to a baulk corner set O’Sullivan up for 5-2, and six minutes later the match was over as he finished in style with a 125.
Chigwell’s 46-year-old O’Sullivan is into the quarter-finals of this event for the 23rd time.
“All of the players have had a great reception here,” said world number three O’Sullivan. “The London snooker fans have supported every player and every match. It feels like my home event when I get the trophy – but not when I get pumped! I don’t read much into performances, I don’t look back on them. I’m through to the next round and let’s see what happens in my next match.”
Lisowski said: “Missing the green in the third frame was a big moment, after that Ronnie relaxed and played really well. I kept fighting and should have made it 4-2. I wasn’t overawed by the occasion, I felt fine and it’s a good learning experience for me, the crowd was fantastic. But playing Ronnie here is tough, it’s like playing Roger Federer at Wimbledon.”
Masters 2022: Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby progress to quarter-finals
11 January 2022
By Shamoon Hafez BBC Sport
Record seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan outclassed Jack Lisowski 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace.
O’Sullivan was presented with opportunities by Lisowski and made breaks of 86 and 63 to lead 3-1.
A superb 127 clearance was followed up by 64 to go one from victory, which he took with another fine 125 break.
‘This is the Ashes’
O’Sullivan’s record at the invitational Masters event is unmatched, claiming the most titles, reaching the most finals (13) and winning the most matches (57).
Roared on by a boisterous crowd at his home event in London, O’Sullivan looked sharp by compiling two centuries and three further breaks of 60 or more.
‘The Rocket’ will meet Australia’s Neil Robertson on Thursday in a repeat of last month’s World Grand Prix final, in which the Englishman collected his 38th ranking title triumph.
“The way he hits the ball, Neil is a superb cueist,” said O’Sullivan on BBC Two. “He is a phenomenal scorer. This is the Ashes, here we go. It is coming back to Britain.
“I am always nervous before any match. Some tournaments bring out the dark side in me, it was tough but I am tough and the snooker gods say calm down and play some snooker.
“It is hard to carry 2,000 Londoners – when you are from here – supporting you. The pressure was on and I felt I had to deliver, if I didn’t I would have felt bad. The fans have supported me and I have to give something back.”
Lisowski added: “Playing Ronnie out there is like playing Roger Federer at Wimbledon, it is going to be extremely tough to win.
“Once the top guys relax you are really on the back foot, I messed up in the third frame and that was my chance.”
Analysis – ‘He is saying he is the boss’
Six-time world champion Steve Davis on BBC Two:
“Ronnie was very proud of his performance, he didn’t look nervous but you are a bit when you come out. He quickly got into this stride.
“I like his attitude in the interview, he is going ‘I am alright at this game and enjoying it’. That is a dangerous animal.”
1997 world champion Ken Doherty:
“Absolutely majestic finish from Ronnie O’Sullivan, he is an absolute genius. He wasn’t at his imperious best but still won comfortably against a top-16 player. He will be tough to beat in this tournament.
“He was different in his outlook before Christmas and his attitude is completely different, he is saying he is the boss and you have never heard that from Ronnie. He is usually self-deprecating.”
Here are a few videos, shared by WST and Eurosport on their YouTube Channels:
O’Sullivan thinks there are trophies to come for Jackpot, but he could do with trying to take on the mental talents of former world champion Dott to improve his chances.
‘I don’t want to be critical of Jack because he’s such a good guy, such a good lad,’ Ronnie said on the BBC.
‘A lot of people look at cue actions and stuff that looks pretty on the eye, but there’s an inner part as well that sometimes people don’t go on about, which is steel, determination.
‘You look at players like Graeme Dott who would be the first to admit, probably, that he hasn’t got half the talent that Jack’s got but he’s been to three World finals, won one, massive winner. Sometimes you need to have it all to be a great player.’
O’Sullivan rates Lisowski highly, but did warn him that he and the rest of the Class of ’92 are clearly going nowhere any time soon, with John Higgins and Mark Williams also into the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace.
‘Jack’s a fantastic player and his time will come, he’s only young,’ said Ronnie. ‘But if me and John and Mark carry on, maybe their time won’t come! Maybe they’ll have to wait for another generation.’
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It won’t get any easier of course tomorrow, with Neil Robertson awaiting but Ronnie played well towards the end and hopefully will feel more settled with the first round match under his belt. The memories of his recent win over Neil at the World Grand Prix, and the manner of it, might help him. Neil however will want to avenge that defeat and will be 200% up for it.
Day 2 at Ally Pally saw wins for John Higgins and Barry Hawkins. Although I expected this outcome, I felt disappointed at the end of the day. Neither match was close.
John Higgins marked a record 28th appearance in snooker’s biggest invitation event by beating Zhao Xintong 6-2 in the first round of the Cazoo Masters.
…
Higgins first took the stage in this prestigious event back in 1995 and has since been ever-present. He was previously tied with Steve Davis and Jimmy White on 27 appearances but now holds that record on his own. At the age of 46 he is ranked sixth in the world and it’s easy to see the all-time legend keeping his place among the top 16 for many years to come and extending that record.
Today he outmaneuvered a player 22 years his junior as he booked a place in the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace. Zhao was making his debut in the event having leapt into the top 16 by winning the Cazoo UK Championship last month. The Chinese ace showed early promise today with a century in the second frame, but then couldn’t maintain a foothold in the contest as his opponent pulled away.
Higgins is into the quarter-finals of this event for the 15th time and faces an intriguing clash with fellow veteran Mark Williams on Thursday evening. The Scot has been this season’s most consistent player so far, reaching four finals but losing all four, and he will be determined to capture his first silverware of the campaign.
Today’s match opened with fireworks from both players as Higgins made a break of 100 in the opening frame then Zhao responded with a 128, the new front-runner for the £15,000 high break prize. Zhao scored just 22 points in the next three frames as Higgins surged 4-1 ahead with a top run of 104.
Frame six went Zhao’s way but when he missed a risky long red in the seventh, trailing 24-8, he let Higgins in for a run of 30 which proved enough for 5-2. And two critical safety errors from Zhao in the eighth ended his hopes of a fight-back, as Higgins punished him with breaks of 39 and 78 to seal the result.
Wishaw’s Higgins lifted the trophy in 1999 and 2006 and came close to a third title last year but lost the final 10-8 against Yan Bingtao.
“Zhao is such a special talent, he makes it look ridiculously easy, the way he strokes the ball in,” said four-time World Champion Higgins. “I was just trying to make it difficult for him. He missed a couple that he usually wouldn’t miss and that gave me confidence, and I played pretty well. The table played well and it’s the best arena that anyone can play in.
“All of the top 16 are lucky to be here and anyone else will be desperate to be here next year. It’s neck and neck with the Crucible as an arena. They are different – the Crucible has more history – but this place is special.
“It’s a healthy rivalry I have with Mark Williams. Maybe ten or 15 years ago we were both in the top four and we were fighting for the same titles. We have both dropped down now and we can still win events. I look across at him now and think I have shared a snooker table with him for 30 years. It’s admiration on my part when I look at Mark and Ronnie O’Sullivan, that they are still playing to an unbelievable level. To play him in such an iconic arena, I can’t wait for Thursday night.
“Ronnie has moved into the stratosphere with Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry in terms of their records and me and Mark are a bit below.”
Zhao said: “John played really well. When I made a century in the second frame I thought I could win. But after that he didn’t give me many chances. I felt a bit of pressure, I was trying to focus on every ball, but John played too well. It’s a great venue, I hope I will be back here next year.”
I was hoping for a better performance by Zhao and a closer match. Ally Pally is a fantastic venue but it’s quite unique. The atmosphere in there is electric. The only other venue that compares with it is the Tempodrom in Berlin. It can be overwhelming I suppose, especially when it’s your first time there. John Higgins played extremely well indeed for most of the match, although his level dipped a bit towards the end. It’s a strange thing with John: I understand how fantastically well he plays, I admire his skills and game but he doesn’t excite me. I won’t go as far as saying that he bores me but… Maybe it’s because he shows very little emotions? I’m not sure why it doesn’t click for me but I know that I’m not the only one.
Barry Hawkins preserved his 100 percent record against Shaun Murphy at the Cazoo Masters, scoring a comfortable 6-2 win to reach the quarter-finals.
Hawkins and Murphy have met on three occasions at Alexandra Palace, each time in the opening round. The Hawk was victorious by a 6-1 scoreline in 2017 and also won 6-2 in 2019.
Although Hawkins holds the edge over Murphy at the Masters, he still trails the 2005 World Champion 10-4 in the head-to-head standings.
Londoner Hawkins missed out on the Masters 12 months ago, after dropping out of the world’s top 16. However, an impressive return to form in 2021 saw him reach four ranking event semi-finals, including the Cazoo UK Championship before Christmas, to return to the sport’s top tier.
By contrast Murphy has struggled to find his form this season, despite being World Championship runner-up at the end of the previous campaign. The Magician failed to secure his place in the top 32 of the one-year list before Christmas and as a result missed out on the Cazoo World Grand Prix. He now heads to Berlin later this month for the German Masters.
Hawkins took the opener this evening with a break of 65, before Murphy restored parity with a run of 69 to make it 1-1. Murphy then hit the front by winning the third and Hawkins claimed the fourth to head into the mid-session all-square at 2-2.
When play resumed 2015 Masters winner Murphy looked to be in a strong position to regain the lead. He was 54-4 in front when he missed a pink to the right middle. That cost him dearly, with Hawkins compiling a run of 60 to take the frame on the final pink.
That was the moment the Hawk pounced at the winning line. A further three on the bounce followed, including breaks of 103 and 69, to wrap up the 6-2 victory. He now faces the winner of Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals.
“Most of the season I feel like I’ve struggled to find rhythm or flow. I just tried to go out there and play my natural game tonight. I was going for the first shot I saw and upped the tempo. That is what worked in the end and I felt good in myself,” said 42-year-old Hawkins.
“I played well tonight and I’ve played well before here. Maybe it is just the occasion. It is a local tournament and a massive occasion. Sometimes I get up for it more than I do the other events. Shaun is a great player, I can’t see why I do well against him here but his head-to-head is 10-4. I just seem to have it on him here really.
“I think everyone is happy to be out and seeing live sport. There is no better feeling than playing well in front of a packed crowd on a big occasion. Playing behind closed doors was quite demoralising. I should imagine that was the same for every sport. You need the fans in for sport or it doesn’t work.”
Murphy said: “After the interval I thought he played like a possible winner of the tournament. He was very very good and he doesn’t make many mistakes. Losing the fourth and fifth frames took the wind out of my sales and in the end he picked me off.”
Ahead of the match, Shaun Murphy had been speaking with Phil Haigh about the extent of his neck and shoulder injuries and how they are impacting his game and his career. It was there for all to see yesterday that he was in discomfort, and that his stance when low on the shot wasn’t what it should be. Maybe he should play every shot with the rest? Only joking of course but those were actually the only shots where he looked comfortable and he’s excellent with the rest.
That said, Barry was his reliable solid self and always a danger no matter who he plays.
Mark Williams and Neil Robertson emerged the winners at the end of the first day at the 2022 Masters.
“Willo” beat the defending Champion, Yan Bingtao by 6-4. It was an excellent, entertaining match. Both played well. Both got support from the fans. Williams had luck on his side: he benefitted from two massive flukes at key moments.
Mark Williams hailed Alexandra Palace as the best arena he has played in, after beating defending Cazoo Masters champion Yan Bingtao 6-4 on day one in North London.
The Welshman is competing at the Masters for the 24th time this week. He famously won the first of his two Masters titles 24 years ago, when he defeated Stephen Hendry 10-9 on a re-spotted black in the decider. Next up this week he faces either John Higgins or Zhao Xintong in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening.
Williams has had an up and down season so far. He started superbly by claiming his 24th career ranking title at the British Open, beating Gary Wilson in the final. Following that win he has suffered difficulties with both gout and Covid-19 and his deepest run saw him reach the last 16 of the Northern Ireland Open. On today’s evidence he looks to be back in top form.
Yan will be disappointed to exit his title defence at the first hurdle. The Chinese 21-year-old was making his Alexandra Palace debut this afternoon. He won the title on his maiden Masters appearance 12 months ago. The event was forced behind closed doors in Milton Keynes, where Yan secured a stunning 10-8 defeat of John Higgins to lift the Paul Hunter Trophy.
When play got underway, Yan showed no signs of early nerves as he fired in breaks of 64 and 71 to move into an early 2-0 advantage. Williams replied with a run of 63 to take the third and had the first opportunity in the fourth. However, he missed a tricky black on 15 and Yan stepped in with a frame winning contribution of 57 to lead 3-1 at the mid-session.
When play resumed Williams reduced his arrears by claiming the fifth in dramatic fashion. With Yan requiring a snooker on the pink, he left Williams in a tricky position behind the black. Williams proceeded to come off the side cushion and hit the pink, fortuitously potting it in a baulk corner to lead 3-2.
The 46-year-old from Cwm then turned the heat up on Yan, with further runs of 62, 67, 64 and 104 to make it four frames on the bounce and lead 5-3.
Yan refused to throw in the towel and kept himself in the tie with a superb break of 122. However, Williams wasn’t to be denied and sealed his 6-4 win after firing in a contribution 85.
“This is such a hard tournament to win, especially when you have John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry about. It is just nice to be in these venues. The atmosphere was electric. I just have to enjoy it more, because I’m not going to keep coming back here year after year,” said three-time World Champion Williams.
“I didn’t think anything would ever beat the Wembley Conference Centre but I think now I have to admit this is the best venue we’ve ever played in. You have the big lounge at the back of the stands, the sofas at the other end. It is a massive arena and it is hard to generate an atmosphere like that. I don’t think you can.
“I’d like to play John next. We’ve been around forever. He’s getting older, greyer and balder. I’m getting older, greyer and balder. There would be a fantastic crowd and it would just be like the Crucible back in 2018. It would be brilliant.”
Yan said: “We both played very well this afternoon. Mark was great today, he made every long pot and every difficult shot. I lost today but I am happy because I played well. That was the best I’ve played this season.
“I enjoyed it out there. I had a lot of pressure as it was very different to last year having 2,000 people watching the match. This was my first time at Ally Pally. Today I played well and I enjoyed the arena.”
I can’t remember seeing Mark Williams that animated and so moved by the crowd’s support ever before. It clearly still means a lot to him not matter what he sometimes says.
The second match was quite different, or, at least the first half was. I didn’t watch past the MSI because I really didn’t enjoy it, it was a poor match, and it was getting late here with the time difference. Neil Robertson beat Anthony McGill by 6-3.
Neil Robertson put on a battling display to beat Anthony McGill 6-3 and clinch his place in the quarter-finals of the Cazoo Masters at Alexandra Palace.
Victory for Robertson ends a streak of two consecutive opening round Masters defeats, having fallen at the first hurdle in 2020 and 2021. The Australian was victorious nine years ago at Alexandra Palace, when he defeated Shaun Murphy in the 2012 final to secure the only Masters title of his career so far.
Robertson has been in fine form so far this season. He has already picked up silverware at the English Open, where he beat John Higgins 9-8 from 8-6 down in the title match. Robertson also reached the final of the Cazoo World Grand Prix before Christmas, but narrowly lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Next up this week for 2010 World Champion Robertson is a quarter-final clash with either O’Sullivan or Jack Lisowski.
Scotland’s McGill remains without a match win at Alexandra Palace, having lost out to John Higgins in the opening round on his debut in 2018. He will now turn his attentions to a trip to Berlin later this month for the German Masters.
It was McGill who looked the stronger player in the opening exchanges this evening, with Robertson struggling to produce his pre-Christmas form. The Glaswegian moved 2-1 ahead, making breaks of 78 and 115 in the process. However, Robertson managed to restore parity heading into the mid-session, firing in a run of 75 to make it 2-2.
When play resumed it was Robertson who took the lead for the first time, a contribution of 94 edged him 3-2 ahead.
McGill drew level with a break of 75, but it would prove to be his last winning frame of the tie. Robertson blitzed to the line with three frames on the bounce, including runs of 57 and 62.
Robertson said: “Going into the interval I was singing and dancing, because I should have at least been a couple of frames down. Things improved in the next frame or two and from 3-3 to 6-3 I played some pretty good stuff. My long game got a lot better and I fed off the momentum of the crowd, who started getting behind me.
“The only other atmosphere I could compare this to is the one table setup at the Crucible, but even then I don’t think it is like this. This was rowdy and they weren’t afraid to show their displeasure in some of the safety or the frames taking too long. That is a good thing as they want to be entertained. They’ve paid a lot of money to be here and without the fans having the courage to come here with Covid and everything it would be like last year.
“Coming through a match like that, where you don’t play well but produce the goods in the big moments, is a really good sign. I have a few days practice to hone everything and get things where they should be. I had too much time off over Christmas. I spent two weeks in Norway, which was amazing, but I should have made the more selfish decision and come back early. I got away with it a little bit today. Hopefully I can play really well next match.”
I’m not a fan of McGill’s game: he tends to overthink, he’s often too cautious and rather slow. He should have been ahead at the MSI – Neil was all over the place – but wasn’t largely because he refused too many shots. Even Alan McManus said it in the commentary box and that means a lot because, whenever one of his Scottish pals is at the table, Alan tends to lose his “neutrality” in commentary, and “sides” with his fellow countryman. Alan is an excellent commentator, with fantastic insight and knowledge, but that “trait” annoys me, just as Phil Yates annoys me when commentating on one of his favourites (Trump and Hendry in particular).
The 2022 Masters starts today and here is the last “media” piece I have chosen to share, an article by the always excellent Phil Haigh, reflecting on the recent success of young, non British players and whether the long awaited “change of guard” is finally becoming a reality.
Snooker’s ‘changing of the guard’ will be given an acid test at the Masters
Phil Haigh – Saturday 8 Jan 2022
Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong will take on legends at Alexandra Palace (Pictures: Getty)
In the coming days we will see arguably the two brightest young talents in snooker take on two of the greatest to ever pick up a cue on one of the sport’s grandest stages. Is there really a changing of the guard on the baize? The Masters will help settle that debate.
Snooker has been edging further and further away from being a young man’s game in recent years, with six of the 16 men heading to the Masters in their forties and eight more having celebrated their 30th birthdays.
The only two of the 16 who might get asked for ID in the pub are defending champion Yan Bingtao, 21, and reigning UK champion Zhao Xintong 24; the young Chinese stars that caused big upsets over the last year to claim two of the sport’s greatest titles.
Thanks to their success, and the recent superb form of 26-year-old Belgian star Luca Brecel, there has been talk that the balance is finally starting to tip back towards the younger generation and away from the veterans that have dominated the upper echelons of the rankings for 25 years.
Two of those men wait for Yan and Zhao at Alexandra Palace, with the Masters champ taking on Mark Williams and the UK king facing John Higgins.
Yan won his Masters title behind closed doors in Milton Keynes last year and will be entering an entirely different atmosphere in front of a full and rowdy Ally Pally on Sunday as defending champion.
Will the Tiger earn his stripes once again by overcoming that pressure against the wiliest of old foxes? Williams will not bat an eyelid at the big stage – hopefully he won’t close them all together again – and having won his 24th ranking title this season he still has the quality to beat anyone at 46 years old.
Four-time world champ Higgins is the same age as the Welshman and has been in even better form, despite not lifting any silverware since the Players Championship in February.
The Wizard of Wishaw has been to four finals already this season, and although he has lost them all, his level of consistency has been remarkable.
Zhao has been anything but consistent in his career so far, with the Cyclone storming to victory at the UK almost completely out of nowhere, competing in and winning the only final he has ever played in.
If he can topple the Wizard at Alexandra Palace then the Cyclone will look a lot more like a lasting disaster for the other top players rather than a brief but destructive gust through York.
The third, and most famous, member of the Class of 92 also faces the challenge of a younger man on his way up in the game rather than down, but one that is more illustrative of the lack of guard changing on the baize in recent years.
Jack Lisowski has the task of downing Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Masters, something that would go down as one of the most significant wins of his career so far, despite that career already lasting over a decade.
Jack Lisowski is still working to fulfil his immense potential (Picture: Getty Images)
At 30, Jackpot is still seen as one of the exciting young players in the sport yet to claim a ranking title, but with most pundits expecting one or many more to come.
Rarely in sport would someone in their fourth decade be viewed as a youthful hopeful, but such has been the lack of teenage talent in recent years that the likes of Lisowski, Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson have held onto their ‘young player’ tags far longer than they should have.
The emergence of Yan and Zhao should finally remove the label of youth from their elders, but they will have to start beating the seasoned campaigners on a regular basis for a changing of the guard to really take hold.
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson does not think we are seeing that change just yet, with the veterans still too good and the next big wave of talent not quite ready to take over.
‘I think we’ve got a while yet,’ Ferguson told Metro.co.uk. ‘I don’t think we’re quite there yet, but it is coming.
‘I always look back over the years, people saying, “This game’s finished when Alex Higgins finishes” and then Jimmy White came along. Then the same thing about Jimmy stopping but Ronnie O’Sullivan came along.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is still going strong at 46, winning the World Grand Prix in December (Picture: Getty Images)
‘There’ll always be new stars and new talent coming through and it is coming. There are young players coming through but I think the next big wave is a little bit young at the moment.
‘I think what I see in snooker is how people’s minds mature and become so mentally strong over a long period of time. John Higgins is just incredible, mentally unbelievable. Mark Williams has still got incredible timing, incredible delicate touch, they’re just not showing any age at all.
‘I think they’ve got a few years yet, these boys, but they aren’t going to be around forever.’
Former world champion Shaun Murphy, who turns 40 this year, is also not sure about any guard changing just yet, and doesn’t think it will come until the fabled trio of O’Sullivan, Higgins and Williams put away their cues for good.
‘I think that’s something I hear quite a lot when you see newer players coming through,’ Murphy told Metro.co.uk.
Murphy is far from convinced about any guard changing just yet (Picture: Getty Images)
‘”Changing of the guard” has been said for donkey’s years. I’m not sure the guard will fully have changed until the Class of 92 will leave the rest of us alone.
‘When are they going to retire?’ Murphy laughed. ‘Can we throw a big party for them? I feel like they’ve outstayed their welcome, can we get them a nice carriage clock or something?
‘I’m not sure the guard will have changed fully until those guys leave. But it’s great for the game when somebody like Luca Brecel starts showing his full potential, obviously Xintong winning the UK is massive for the sport, not just for him, but in terms of growth in other parts of the world.
‘If we weren’t in a pandemic, I’m sure we’d have seen an explosion of interest again in the Far East. Hopefully that momentum will last when we come out of what has been a terrible two years.’
The Magician knows as well as anyone how tricky it is to play the likes of Williams and Higgins on the big stages, but he has seen what Zhao can do, not just at the UK Championship, but this week at the Championship League when he played eight matches and won the lot.
Murphy won the UK himself back in 2008 and knows just how good Zhao will be feeling going into the sternest of tests against Higgins at Ally Pally.
‘That’s the acid test, two of the best players of all time will put these two lads through their paces and we’ll get to see,’ said Murphy.
‘If the way Xintong has started this year is anything to go by, in the Championship League, then it looks like there’s more of the same to come.
‘When you win a big tournament like the UK you feel like you’re walking on water, you can clear up from anywhere, nothing’s beyond your reach. I hope he rides that wave for as long as he possibly can because eventually that momentum will end, so I hope he enjoys it because it’s a very special feeling.’
It will be another very special feeling for the hugely talented twenty-somethings if they can oust the legends from the Palace and start to convince a few more people that a change really is coming.
The Masters first round draw and schedule
Sunday 9 January 1pm: Yan Bingtao vs Mark Williams 7pm: Neil Robertson vs Anthony McGill
Monday 10 January 1pm: John Higgins vs Luca Brecel/Zhao Xintong 7pm: Shaun Murphy vs Barry Hawkins
Tuesday 11 January 1pm: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Jack Lisowski 7pm: Mark Selby vs Stephen Maguire
Wednesday 12 January 1pm: Judd Trump vs Mark Allen 7pm: Kyren Wilson vs Stuart Bingham
Well, I do think that something IS happening here and now. For years there have been talks about brilliant young prospects, nearly all of them British or Irish, but none of them have delivered despite being massively favoured by the UK centric structure of the main tour. But now we are in a situation where two out of three of the “Majors”, two out of three of the “Triple Crowns” are held by young Chinese players.
The last UK Championship final was competed between two young players: Zhao is 24, Luca is 26. We have to go back to 2011 to have another UK final competed between two under-30 players, and for the first time in the long and prestigious history of the event, none of te finalists was British/Irish.
We have a similar situation with the Masters. The only ever Masters final competed between two non British/Irish players dates back to 2011, when Ding Junhui beat Marc Fu, and to find a Masters Final competed between two under-30 players we have to go back in time as far as 2012, when Neil Robertson defeated Shaun Murphy.
Early 2011 was also the only time before now when two of the “Triple Crowns” where held by non British/Irish players, with Neil Robertson being the reigning World Champion and Ding being the Masters Champion.
Ding’s successes inspired a new generation of young Chinese players, but his “status” as a national icon in China has also held them back for a long timeI feel but this is changing now.
So, signs are there that it’s “coming” indeed and what happened in York in December is exceptional… for now. Is it an “anomaly”? A “one-off” ? Or is it a sign of things to come? I believe and hope it’s the latter.
Mark Williams edged out fellow ‘Class of 92’ member John Higgins 6-5, in what he described as an unforgettable atmosphere, to reach the semi-finals of the Cazoo Masters at Alexandra Palace.
“That’s the best reception I’ve ever had in 30 years as a professional. I’ve had some good atmospheres, but that was electric. It felt like they were applauding for ten minutes before we could even break off. Coming out for the final frame they were doing it again,” said three-time World Champion Williams.
World Champion Mark Selby won a Cazoo Masters match for the first time in three years, securing a 6-3 defeat of Stephen Maguire at Alexandra Palace to book a quarter-final meeting with close friend Barry Hawkins.
When play resumed Selby edged ahead once more, before winning the sixth with a break of 64 to make it 4-2.
Kyren Wilson prevented history from repeating itself as he held off a Stuart Bingham fightback to win a thrilling opening round clash 6-5 at the Cazoo Masters.
“I thought it was a fantastic match to be a part of. Feathering the white was a big turning point and that got Stuart back into the game. I was completely in control and sometimes these little things turn matches,” said 30-year-old Wilson.
Barry Hawkins preserved his 100 percent record against Shaun Murphy at the Cazoo Masters, scoring a comfortable 6-2 win to reach the quarter-finals.
That was the moment the Hawk pounced at the winning line. A further three on the bounce followed, including breaks of 103 and 69, to wrap up the 6-2 victory. He now faces the winner of Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals.
Mark Williams hailed Alexandra Palace as the best arena he has played in, after beating defending Cazoo Masters champion Yan Bingtao 6-4 on day one in North London.
“This is such a hard tournament to win, especially when you have John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry about. It is just nice to be in these venues. The atmosphere was electric. I just have to enjoy it more, because I’m not going to keep coming back here year after year,” said three-time World Champion Williams.
Neil Robertson put on a battling display to beat Anthony McGill 6-3 and clinch his place in the quarter-finals of the Cazoo Masters at Alexandra Palace.
Robertson said: “Going into the interval I was singing and dancing, because I should have at least been a couple of frames down. Things improved in the next frame or two and from 3-3 to 6-3 I played some pretty good stuff. My long game got a lot better and I fed off the momentum of the crowd, who started getting behind me.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 