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 went out to Ali Carter yesterday evening. He was beaten 5-3. He fought hard, nobody can seriously say that he threw the match away, he was 3-0 down and came back to 3-3 but, eventually it was in vain.
It was a surprise of sorts because of their very one sided “history” but Ali was clearly the better player out there.
In-form Neil Robertson made three centuries on his way to a 5-2 defeat of Pang Junxu at the Machineseeker German Masters in Berlin.
The Thunder from Down Under won the biggest payday of his career earlier this season, pocketing £500,000 for winning the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. This week he is gunning for a first ever taste of glory at the Tempodrom.
Robertson is a former finalist in Berlin, having lost the 2020 final to Judd Trump. Before that game Russell Crowe, who starred as Maximus in the Oscar-winning film Gladiator, contacted him on social media to wish him good luck. Following today’s victory he admitted that is not the only example of interaction with Hollywood royalty, having also engaged with Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.
Robertson explained: “I tweeted him once about playing. In-between matches, I had an R2D2 mug and I said ‘the only way to drink a cup of tea…’ It said R2T2 on the cup and he liked the tweet. That was screenshotted instantly.
“Maximus or Luke Skywalker? Well, there is no such thing greater than the power of the Force!”
Perhaps the only thing greater was Robertson’s break building power this morning. Runs of 108, 100 and 106 helped the Melbourne cueman to victory and a last 16 clash with Indian number one and former professional gamer Ishpreet Singh Chadha, who revealed he has permanently switched the console off to focus on snooker. Robertson empathises with his next opponent, having battled with gaming addiction himself.
Robertson said: “I read an article on him. I was resonating with everything he was saying. Counter-Strike is one that I never got involved in too much but that’s absolutely mega addictive. For him to be professional and play for a pro team in India he must be absolutely incredible at the game.
“There are millions upon millions of people who play that game and he must be incredibly good at it. His actions per second and his reaction times must be absolutely off the charts. He’s a very talented snooker player as well. I played him earlier this season in China and he played pretty well. He just missed a couple.”
Zhang Anda became the fourth player to craft a maximum break at the Tempodrom after his 147 in the opening frame of a 5-2 win over Barry Hawkins. The win sets up a meeting with recent Masters champion Kyren Wilson tomorrow.
“Making a maximum at the German Masters is really special, and doing it in the opening frame makes it even better,” said former International Champion Zhang.
“To be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about a maximum in the early part of the break. It only came into my mind later on. I think the crowd already realized what I was trying to do. The atmosphere was fantastic. I really enjoyed that moment.“
Two-time German Masters winner Ali Carter scored just his second ever win over Ronnie O’Sullivan, prevailing 5-3 to make the last 16. He will face Xu Si, who beat Mark Selby 5-4 in a late night epic.
The Captain now trails O’Sullivan the head-to-head 20-2. The pair have been engaged in a fierce rivalry in recent years, but afterwards Carter was keen to put that in the past.
Carter said: “We’ve known each other a long time. He’s a character isn’t he? We are fine now, there is no animosity at all. It is all heat of the moment stuff between two sportsmen and he is the best snooker player of all-time. It is great to be on the table with him and competing. Getting the odd win over him is a feather in my cap.“
World number one Judd Trump is yet to drop a frame in the event, having completed a second whitewash win, this time beating Welshman Ryan Day 5-0.
Day’s highest break in the match was a mere 14, while Trump fired in contributions of 102, 102 and 127. He will now face Si Jiahui, who beat David Gilbert 5-4.
Tom Ford dumped out World Champion Zhao Xintong 5-3 and booked a last 16 meeting with 2015 Crucible king Stuart Bingham. The Essex cueman beat Scott Donaldson 5-2.
John Higgins beat Zhou Yuelong 5-3 to book a meeting with Xiao Guodong, who overcame Jack Lisowski 5-1.
I would argue that Mark Selby and Zhao Xintong defeats are bigger “shocks” than Ronnie’s defeat. Ronnie hadn’t played competitively for a long time before this event. It was his choice of course and it has consequences. That said we do not know, and we have no right to know, what happens in the players private life, so I would refrain to “judge”. Mark Williams also lost yesterday beaten 5-3 by Jimmy Robertson.
For me the only real “shock” yesterday was Jack Lisowski 5-1 defeat at the hands of Xiao Guodong. That said Xiao played really, really well, scoring three centuries during the match, including a 141! But Jack, as so often was disappointing.
The conditions at the Tempodrom are often very tricky. It’s freezing cold outside, and often humid too. People get in, wearing coats and anoraks that are wet or at least humid. As you know hot air tend to move to the ceiling. To get a decent temperature on the floor, it is necessary to “push” the heating system. Apparently this combination of factors is prone to generate “statics” and it definitely impacts the table conditions. No matter what the excellent fitters do, it’s far from ideal. But, of course it’s the same for all players but “touch” players may struggle more than those who hit the ball more firmly.
After a longish absence from the tour and several latish withdrawals, Ronnie DID play in Berlin yesterday and won his match. He wasn’t at his best – which was to be expected given the lack of competition – but he did enough ans is through to the next round where he will face Ali Carter. I’m sure both of them are over the moon and relish the prospect … 😎
.Ronnie O’Sullivan prevailed 5-1 over Long Zehuang in his first Berlin appearance since 2017 at the Machineseeker German Masters.
The seven-time Crucible king is only appearing on European soil for the second time this season, having lost his opening round match against Zhou Yuelong at the UK Championship. Following today’s victory he declared that his one remaining ambition is to capture a record breaking eighth World Championship title.
41-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan, who claimed the German Masters crown in 2012, has operated under a stripped back calendar this season and pulled out of the recent Masters in London due to medical reasons. However, the Rocket has based himself in Ireland in recent months and practising hard in a bid to keep his game sharp.
There were signs of match arena rustiness in today’s match, both players were caught out with some unexpected misses. It was 50-year-old O’Sullivan who was the more clinical of the two. He produced breaks of 63, 55 and 93 during the win and now faces a fiery clash against old adversary Ali Carter.
“I’ve been feeling a lot better in practice. I felt the tables were unbelievably fast. I just couldn’t control the ball. I haven’t played on tournament tables that much. So you have to hit them differently, you have to strike them more pure, more confidently. I haven’t really had enough practice in those type of conditions. So that was tough,” admitted O’Sullivan.
“I’d like to win one more (World Championship). I will probably have three or four genuine attempts at it. I think that is going to be my main goal for the rest of my career, to try and win one more. If I can that would be great, but still just try and enjoy the game, enjoy the crowds and enjoy the tournaments.
“I’ve probably left it a bit late. I’m not saying I can’t do it this year, I’d have to do alright in some of these tournaments beforehand. Maybe get to the quarters of the Worlds, you never know. It’s a different animal, that tournament, once you get to that stage, anybody can win it really. So, yeah, I think that would be one last ambition left in snooker – to get the eighth World. It would be 8-8-8. That would be nice.“
World number one Judd Trump got off to a perfect start with a 5-0 whitewash win over Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Wai.
This event is a happy hunting ground for the Ace in the Pack, having captured the title on three occasions. However, he is aiming to break a trophy drought which saw him fail to win a tournament in the calendar year of 2025.
Trump top scored with 73 this morning and victory sees him progress to a second round meeting with Ryan Day.
Trump said: “It is tournaments and arenas like this are what get me up for continuing to play snooker. Anyone who can get the chance to still be around for the semi-finals and final, when it is down to one table, it is something special. The German crowd is something similar to the London crowd. They are quite boisterous but very respectful and they make the event very special.
“A lot of times this season I feel like I’ve been the best player or one of the best going into the semi-finals and the final. I’ve just not got over the line. I’ve given myself as many opportunities as I do in other seasons, I just haven’t been as clinical under the utmost pressure.“
World Champion Zhao Xintong came through with a 5-0 win over Chinese compatriot Jiang Jun. In the final frame, Zhao had his sights set on a maximum but missed the penultimate red to end his run on 104. He now plays Tom Ford.
Last week’s losing Masters finalist John Higgins bounced back and continued his good form with a 5-1 win over relegation threatened Jamie Jones. Next up for the Wizard of Wishaw is Zhou Yuelong.
Defending champion Kyren Wilson swept to a 5-1 defeat of Anthony McGill to make the last 16. Awaiting him is either Barry Hawkins or Zhang Anda. Meanwhile Shaun Murphy was a 5-1 victor against Julien Leclercq and will face either Mark Allen or Gao Yang.
What Ronnie said is quite encouraging on all grounds.
Here are the scores for the match:
Here is the last frame of the match
Ronnie wasn’t at his best, certainly, but that was to be expected after being out of competition for so long.
Defending champion Kyren Wilson blitzed to a winning start at the Machineseeker German Masters, beating Robert Milkins 5-1 at Berlin’s iconic Tempodrom.
The Englishman is riding the crest of a wave currently, having won a dream maiden Johnstone’s Paint Masters title just over a week ago. Having negotiated two epic 6-5 wins over Neil Robertson and Wu Yize, he overcame the legendary John Higgins 10-6 in the title match to secure the Paul Hunter Trophy.
He arrives on a happy hunting ground this week in search of his first ranking silverware of the season. Four of his ten ranking crowns have come on German soil. Last year Wilson defeated Barry Hawkins 10-9 in a thrilling final to secure the Brandon Parker Trophy.
Breaks of 75, 63, 119 and 65 saw Wilson home comfortably today. He now progresses to face Anthony McGill in round two. After this afternoon’s game Wilson revealed he’d spent part of the aftermath of his Masters triumph cheering on sons Bailey and Finley, who competed in the English Under-14s Snooker Championship.
2024 World Champion Wilson said: “They were a little bit unfortunate that they drew each other, not only in the groups but in the quarter-finals. Unfortunately my youngest Bailey had a few tears, but they got to the quarters and the semis on their first tournament. They loved it and had butterflies the next day. The next morning they were in the snooker room practising and I thought that is the difference. That is what can help make them successful snooker players if that is what they want to go on and do.
“I loved it and I took my dad, who would have been a part of my journey. It was a blast from the past with my dad but also new beginnings. Watching them as the draw was being made I could see them eagerly waiting. I was getting butterflies for them as I know what a special feeling it is.”
Welsh three-time World Champion Mark Williams eased through with a 5-1 win over Sanderson Lam to book his place in the second round.
Williams won the German Masters just months before his third Crucible crown in 2018. He will be hoping for another deep run this week to set up a big second half of the season. Next up he faces Jimmy Robertson.
The 50-year-old has been toying with laser eye surgery this season, but is reticent to take the plunge and risk a downturn in form, having been runner-up in the World Championship last season.
Williams said: “I’m postponed until March at the moment. They will probably ring me back then and I’ll postpone again until after the World Championship. I just don’t know what to do.
“It was alright in patches tonight. I potted some good long ones and had a couple of breaks in there. I just need to get a few more wins.”
Indian number one Ishpreet Singh Chadha secured a big win to boost his tour survival hopes, clinching a deciding frame to beat Scottish Open champion Chris Wakelin 5-4. He progresses to face Elliot Slessor.
Singh Chadha said: “For the crowd and the venue, I don’t know what it is but it feels like home. I feel like I am playing in India. I have so much support. Having people cheering you on makes you want to play your best. I was happy to get through, having been 3-1 down. I am really pleased with this win. I’m very excited.”
Shaun Murphy got his campaign underway with a 5-2 defeat of Zak Surety, while Mark Allen was a 5-3 victor against Oliver Lines. They now play Julien Leclercq and Gao Yang respectively.
I had laser surgery some twenty years ago and it saved my life… but then I was extremely myopic, I literally couldn’t see anything clearly further than about 5 cm from my face without the lenses but, after wearing them for 20 years, my eyes didn’t accept the contact lenses – hard ones at the time – anymore. But the surgery is not without risks and inconveniences. F.i. now I can’t drive at night. Strong artificial lights bothers me and lights from cars driving in my direction at night look like fireworks…
The 2026 WSF Championships are under way in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Junior and Women events have already been played to a finish. The junior event carries a main tour card for the winner.
Bai Yulu Wins WSF Womens’ Championship And Tops Rankings
Bai Yulu has defeated OnYee Ng 4-0 to win the WSF Women’s Championship at the Hotel Marinela in Sofia and in doing so become world number one for the first time in her career.
Already a winner at the UK Championship, Niche Cues Open and Irish Open tournaments during the first half of the season, 22-year-old Bai did not lose a single frame during this week’s event in Bulgaria during what was a dominant performance to win her fourth ranking event title of the season.
The Chinese star has now won eight ranking event titles since her World Women’s Snooker Tour debut at the 2023 World Championship and becomes only the 13th player and third from Asia to hold the world number one ranking since 1983.
Bai also compiled the top break of 131 during the semi-finals – her highest to date on the WWS Tour – as well as a further run of 102 to take her total for the season to seven, itself a Tour record for a player during a single campaign.
In the final she would face OnYee Ng for the third time this season and it was the three-time world champion from Hong Kong China who appeared favourite to claim the opening frame as Bai required a snooker with just two reds remaining.
Bai, however, was able to extract the four penalty points required before ultimately producing a colour clearance to land an early blow and steal the frame by just two points.
From that point it was Bai who was able to largely control the match, breaks of 48 and 45 enough to double her advantage, before further runs of 34 and 38 during the following two frames were ultimtely enough to extend her current Tour winning streak to 39 matches.
Michael Larkov defeated Wang Xinbo 5-2 to win the 2026 World Snooker Federation (WSF) Junior Championship and earn a two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) tour card.
The 17-year-old from Ukraine came through a field of 80 cueists at the Hotel Marinela in Sofia, Bulgaria to secure his place among the professional ranks for the first time in his career.
Friday in Sofia saw four hopefuls remaining after four days of action and it was Larkov who defeated Thailand’s Prin Ratmukda and China’s Wang on the final day to join Iulian Boiko as the Ukrainian representation on the WST from the 2026/27 campaign.
The event began with the group phase where Larkov began with a trio of consecutive whitewash victories over Adyan Iqbal, William Thomson and Wojciech Sowinski to qualify for the knockout stages.
A top break of 101 saw the Ukrainian comfortably overcome Mikayel Nersisyan 4-0 before he showed his battling qualities to turn around a 3-1 deficit against Scotland’s Ayaan Iqbal and reach the quarter-finals.
Larkov was competing in his third WSF Junior Championship and had never previously gone beyond the last 16, but breaks of 114 and 73 on Saturday helped the teenager to a 4-1 victory over China’s Wang Xinzhong to earn a place in the final day for the first time.
Both semi-finals were one-sided affairs as Larkov downed Thailand’s Ratmukda 4-0 while Wang completed the final line-up courtesy of a victory against England’s Daniel Boyes by the same scoreline.
China’s Wang, aged 18, was competing in the event for the first time and boasted a CV that had seen him competing in four events on the WST this season which included a win against Robbie Williams at the Wuhan Open.
An impressive week for the teenager had seen him drop just four frames across eight matches to reach the title match but he found himself in trouble against Larkov as the Ukrainian hit two half centuries to win four of the first five frames and move one away from glory.
Wang kept his hopes alive with a break of 75 in sixth but Larkov was unphased and got over the line in the next with a contribution of 60 to secure the title as a 5-2 victor.
The WSF Open Championship takes place on 24 January-1 Feburary at Hotel Marinela, Sofia. You can follow the event via WPBSA SnookerScores and two tables will be streamed live on the WPBSA YouTube channel.
Congratulations Bai and Michael!
Bai completely dominated the women’s competition, she’s head and shoulders above the rest of them, and yet she’s not quite able to establish herself on the main tour. 😟 The facts that not that many girls are attracted to the sport and that the “macho” mentality still exists in many clubs are factors but I’m not convinced that there aren’t actual physical factors as well. Physical strength may not be as important in snooker than it is in other sports, but it’s still a useful asset when playing some shots. And then there is eye-hand coordination. “On average” boys are better at that1, denying it won’t change the facts. “On average” means nothing for the individual, but it does mean something when considering a population.
Probably because of “natural selection” factors. In primitive societies, men being stronger were usually the hunters, and eye hand coordination is a huge asset for a hunter. Women usually were looking after children and elderly, needing empathy and social skills more than physical strengths ↩︎
Kyren Wilson beat John Higgins by 10-6 yesterday evening to win the Masters for the first time. I’m happy for him and for his family. They had more than their share of health concerns in recent times and Kyren is a very loveable person. That doesn’t ptrevent him to be very competititive at the table, as he proved many times and, again, yesterday.
Kyren Wilson captured the Johnstone’s Paint Masters title for the first time, beating John Higgins 10-6 in the final at Alexandra Palace.
At the age of 50, Higgins had hoped to become the oldest ever winner of a Triple Crown event, but for much of the final he was a shadow of the player who knocked out World Champion Zhao Xintong and world number one Judd Trump, making numerous unforced errors. World number two Wilson won several crucial frames in the closing stages as he pulled away from 5-4 to win five of the last seven.
Kettering’s Wilson had suffered a painful 10-7 defeat to Shaun Murphy in the final last year and also lost the 2018 final to Mark Allen by the same scoreline, but at the third time of asking the 34-year-old went all the way to snooker’s biggest invitation title. He becomes the 26th winner of a tournament which was first staged in 1975, lifting the Paul Hunter Trophy and banking the top prize of £350,000.
Just seven weeks ago at the UK Championship, Wilson was in the depths of despair after losing to Elliot Slessor in the first round. Wife Sophie had suffered health problems, while on the table Wilson had lost both his form and his cue – which was accidentally broken. With typical determination and resilience, he has fought his way back from that low point, rebuilding his confidence with the help of a new cue. And now he can celebrate one of his best career moments, perhaps second only to his 2024 World Championship triumph.
Higgins, the oldest ever finalist in a Triple Crown event, misses put on a third Masters title having lifted the trophy in 1999 and 2006, and has now lost four of his six finals. The Scot also passed up the opportunity to land a first Triple Crown success since he won his fourth World Championship in 2011; since then he has lost five finals in these three historic events.
Trailing 5-3 after the first session, Higgins made a break of 71 in the opening frame tonight to close the gap. In the next he trailed 36-48 when he went for a risky double on the penultimate red but it hit the far jaw of a centre pocket and Wilson capitalised for 6-4. Higgins led 61-15 in the 11th when he missed a routine black, and Wilson got the snooker he needed then had a chance to clear but failed to pot the final pink. A safety tussle ended when Wilson overcut a long pot and went in-off, allowing a relieved Higgins to slot in the pink. In the 12th, Higgins once again missed the black off its spot on a break of 15, and his opponent’s run of 49 left him 7-5 up at the interval.
Frame 13 came down to the colours and Higgins made a safety error on the brown, leaving it over a top corner which allowed Wilson to go three clear for the first time. A run of 78 extended his lead, and the Englishman had a match-winning chance in the next but with the balls well placed, he missed the black off its spot on 17. Higgins, who came from 9-5 down to beat Mark Williams 10-9 in the 2010 UK Championship final, gave himself hope with a run of 70.
And he had an early chance in frame 16 but made just 12, and the decisive moment came when Wilson, leading 44-12, drilled in a mid-range red and added 24 which got him past the winning post.
“In 2018 when I lost in the final I cried like a little girl, and I am trying not to cry now because it means so much to me,” said Wilson, who also won the Shanghai Masters at the start of this season and has now earned over £740,000 this term. “It’s an absolute honour to share the table with John, he is an idol of mine. It was a dog fight from the start today and I just tried to be as dogged as John has been over the years. I was always give it my all even when I am struggling, I will fight to the end until I can get my hands on some silverware. I will be proud of this win for the rest of my life.
“After the UK Championship I thought I was gone, I didn’t know if I was ever going to be back in the winner’s enclosure. It’s so important to have a cue you can trust and I came here this week with a new lease of life. I promised my mum she was going to have that bit of crystal on the table at home. I have such a supportive family, people don’t see what happens behind closed doors but I was in a bad way after the UK and it took my wife Sophie to help rebuild me.”
Higgins said: “The crowd were fantastic and so were the conditions, but I was useless. Kyren was by far the better player, he was totally dominant. The scoreline is 10-6 but it wasn’t as close as that. It’s disappointing because the last two Masters finals I have played in, I haven’t kept the same form which got me to the final. Tonight is Kyren’s night so congratulations to him.“
The score may have “flattered” John Higgins – that’s what his post match quotes suggest – but the truth is that he’s never easy to to beat, even when not at his best. He’s very clever and extremely stubborn. The latter may be a problematic character trait in your kid but it’s a huge asset in a snooker player at the table! 😂
Ronnie O'Sullivan 