Here are the reports shared by WST on day 4 at Ally Pally, the last day of the 2025 Masters first round.

WILSON COMES THROUGH TOUGH ZHANG TEST

World Champion Kyren Wilson won his first match at the Johnstone’s Paint Masters for three years, beating tough opponent Zhang Anda by a 6-4 scoreline to reach the quarter-finals.  

A hard-fought contest was in the balance at 4-4, but China’s Zhang crucially missed chances in the last two frames, allowing Wilson to get to the finish line and end a losing streak at Alexandra Palace, having been knocked out in the first round by Stuart Bingham in 2023 and Judd Trump in 2024.

The Crucible king is into the quarter-finals for the fifth time and is aiming for his maiden Masters title, having come close in 2018 when he lost 10-7 in the final to Mark Allen. 

“It was a great match to be involved in,” said world number two Wilson. “At 4-4 I had to hang in there and stay positive. I was really impressed with Zhang’s long potting, he was floating them in from everywhere. Playing as World Champion this season has given me the confidence to see those matches out. I know I have a target on my back this year so I didn’t want to go out of this one early again. 

“A lot has changed for me since I was in the final here seven years ago. I have gone on to bigger and better things, achieving the dream of becoming World Champion. But there is still a lot of unfinished business.” 

The opening frame came down to a safety battle on the colours, resolved when Wilson converted a tricky pot on the green to a centre pocket and cleared for 1-0. Zhang levelled with a break of 85, before Wilson regained the lead. In frame four, Zhang led 64-0 when he ran out of position, and his opponent punished him with an excellent 69 clearance for 3-1. 

Wilson failed to score a point in the next two as Zhang compiled breaks of 65 and 83 to square the tie at 3-3.  A break of 69 from Wilson restored his lead, only for Zhang to respond again with a 141 total clearance, his first Masters century and the new target for the £15,000 high break prize.

In frame nine, Wilson led 52-0 when he missed the blue to a baulk corner, and Zhang had the balls at his mercy but his counter ended on 26 when he failed to pot the black off its spot. And Zhang had another clear opportunity in the tenth, only to miss a red to top corner when he led 15-13. The frame came down to the last three reds, and a superb pot to a centre pocket from Wilson set him up for a match-winning 38.

Kettering’s Wilson was wearing a unique waistcoat designed by 12-year-old schoolgirl Serena, the winner of a competition run by Johnstone’s Paint, STEM Learning and WST. The project challenged children age 11-14 to design a waistcoat, using a theme connected to the science curriculum and also including Johnstone’s Paint colour of the year, Acai Berry. Wilson himself was one of the judging panel and picked the winner from over 20 entries, then met Serena on the eve of the tournament to receive the waistcoat.

He added: “I feel like it was a brave thing to do! It’s great for the sport and the sponsors and fantastic for the children who made the designs.“

BRECEL COMPLETES STELLAR LAST-EIGHT LINE-UP

Luca Brecel showed flashes of brilliance in a 6-3 win over debutant Chris Wakelin at the Johnstone’s Paint Masters as he joined a quarter-final line-up which includes six former winners of the event plus the last two World Champions.

Brecel will meet current Crucible king Kyren Wilson on Friday evening at Alexandra Palace, after showdowns between Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and Mark Allen, then Judd Trump and Ding Junhui. The eight players left chasing the Paul Hunter Trophy have 31 Triple Crown titles between them.

Since his victory in Sheffield 20 months ago, Brecel has not won another individual title, but he showed improved form before Christmas with runs to the quarter-finals of the BetVictor Scottish Open then the final of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. Tonight’s display was far from perfect but he reminded fans of his genius with several extraordinary pots, notably a brown in the opening frame which Stephen Hendry, commentating for BBC, described as “one of the best shots I have ever seen.”

The Belgian ace doubled his tally of wins at the Masters, having previously only registered a single victory in his four previous appearances in London.

He said afterwards: “I think the next ten years could be my best. I am still very young and I have a good mindset to perform.”

Wakelin led 47-27 in the opening frame when he missed a tricky red with the rest, and Brecel’s 36 clearance included that thunderbolt brown, played at pace along the baulk cushion. Wakelin levelled with a run of 69 and had chances in frame three but couldn’t take them, and Brecel eventually converted excellent long pots on the pink and black. World number eight Brecel’s run of 89 made it 3-1 and he led 43-0 in frame five when he underhit an awkward red to a centre pocket, letting Wakelin in for a run of 67 to halve the gap.

Brecel dominated the sixth for 4-2, before his opponent emerged successfully from a safety exchange on the green in the seventh. Frame eight also came down to the green, Wakelin potting it but then missing the brown when he looked set for 4-4. Brecel rifled in tremendous long pots on brown, blue and pink for 5-3. Wakelin’s night ended when he touched a ball with the rest as he tried to move it into position for a scoring chance in frame nine, handing Brecel the table for a closing 73.

“There were a few misses but apart from that I felt good,” added 29-year-old Brecel. “It’s tough to settle in this arena, I played some good and bad frames but the most important thing was to get the win. I’m not yet 100% confident but I feel I’m getting better and really looking forward to the rest of the season.

“This tournament is so hard, because of the crowd and the history of the Masters. To win it you have to play really well, and don’t bottle it.”

Brecel is planning to take on the Ironman triathlon in 2028 and is training for that challenge. He said: “The feeling you get from running and cycling is amazing, you feel like a different person. People who don’t play sport under-estimate the benefits of it. I feel much lighter and I can go for longer when the matches get long and tough. It’s good mentally, for example tomorrow I will have a day off so I will go for a run which fills up the day and takes your mind off snooker.“

Wakelin has climbed into the top 16 for the first time this season and relished his first appearance at the sport’s biggest invitation event, though admitted that his focus has not been on preparation in recent weeks as he became a father for the first time last month.  

He said: “I absolutely loved it out there, walking into the arena is a moment I will never forget. I didn’t play well, but the last few weeks have been very hectic and the last thing on my mind has been practising for this event. I tried my best. Given it was my first time out there I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I felt comfortable.”

The main thing on Chris mind is of course his baby girl. She was born nine weeks prematurely and is still in hospital. Chris said that she’s doing well but, of course, she is still fragile and still needs special care. A match, even at the Masters, is nowhere near as important as the little one’s health and well being. Chris did extremely well under the circumstances. I wish Chris family the very best.

The above reports are comprehensive. I don’t have much to add.

Kyren, once again, is representing his sport in the best possible way and proves himself to be a really worthy World Champion on and off the table.

Zhang himself played really well and got a lot of praise from Hendry… well, maybe, Hendry still has vivid memories of the scare Zhang gave him at the Crucible in 2010. Back then, Hendry only won his opening match against Zhang by 10-9. At the time Zhang was only 18 and in his first season as a pro. Nobody expected him to push the seven times World Champion this hard. If I remember correctly Hendry had to win the last three frames.

Luca Brecel was his spectacular self. He can be infuriating at times because, given his humongous talent, he should win much more, but when on song he’s box office: daring, unconventional and extremely entertaining.