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.

It wasn’t the only surprising result on the day though … here is the report shared by WST:

Machineseeker German Masters Day Three

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.

Here are two viseos shared by WST on YouTube:

All the results are available on snooker.org.

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.

Congratulations Kyren Wilson!

Here is the report shared by WST:

Wilson Lands Maiden Masters

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! 😂

The final of the the 2026 Masters will be competed today between John Higgins and Kyren Wilson.

Here is how we got this far as reported by WST:

Afternoon Session:

Higgins Into Final With Epic Win Over Trump

ohn Higgins came from 3-0 and 5-3 down to beat Judd Trump 6-5 in an epic battle, raising his hopes of a third Johnstone’s Paint Masters title and becoming the oldest ever finalist in a Triple Crown event.  

Trump may be haunted by a missed brown when he was just three pots from victory at 5-3, and Higgins eventually came out on top, describing it as one of his best ever wins – given that he had lost 14 of his previous 15 meetings with world number one Trump. He goes through to face Kyren Wilson or Wu Yize over 19 frames on Sunday at Alexandra Palace for the Paul Hunter Trophy and a top prize of £350,000 which would be his biggest ever payday. Having landed the crown in 1999 and 2006, Higgins is looking to become the seventh player to win the title on three or more occasions. 

Just four months short of his 51st birthday, Wishaw’s Higgins becomes the oldest finalist in Triple Crown history, surpassing a record held by Ray Reardon who was 50 years and three months when he lost the 1983 Masters final. World number five Higgins is aiming for a tenth Triple Crown success and first since he captured his fourth Crucible title in 2011.

Higgins, who also came from 5-3 down to beat Zhao Xintong 6-5 in the previous round, is into the Masters final for the sixth time having finished runner-up in 1995, 2005 and 2021. At the tail end of last season he won big events at the World Open and Tour Championship, but if he were to land snooker’s biggest invitation title at this late stage of his life on the baize, with wife Denise and children Oliver and Claudia in attendance, he may consider it a new career highlight.

Struggling to settle into the contest, Higgins failed to pot a ball in the first two frames, Trump taking them both with top runs of 40 and 46. In the third, Trump made 60 before missing a tricky red to a centre pocket and Higgins clawed his way back, gaining the snooker he needed on the last red, but later made a safety error on the yellow and Trump potted yellow and green for 3-0. Frame four came down to the colours and Trump had the chance for 4-0 but missed the yellow to a baulk corner when leading 48-42, and this time Higgins took advantage with an excellent clearance including a slow-rolled green along the baulk cushion.

Higgins closed to 3-2 with a run of 104 and in frame six he was on 44 when he missed a red to centre. Trump’s 70 clearance made it 4-2 and in frame seven he led 54-0 when he potted a red but was unlucky to knock the blue in. Higgins later converted a tremendous long red to a top corner and cleared with 57. Again Higgins had the chance to square the tie, but at 62-6 missed frame ball red to a top corner and had to watch his opponent clear with 57. Trump had a golden chance to clinch the result in frame nine but rattled the final brown in the jaws of a baulk corner at 43-48 and Higgins took advantage for 5-4.

A break of 70 put Higgins in charge of the tenth, and though his opponent got the three snookers he needed, the Scot doubled the last red to set up the decider. Trump had first chance but made just 6 before missing a red – playing right handed – and he then botched a safety shot to hand Higgins the table. He made a cool 57, and though he missed the pink just two balls short of the winning line, he later slotted in the penultimate red to seal a memorable triumph.

“It was amazing, I can’t believe I am through,” said Higgins. “Judd was in total control of the game at 3-0, I was all at sea and I was devastated because nothing was happening for me. The fourth frame was massive. In recent times I have lost a lot of matches like that which has been really tough to take. I just didn’t give up today, even though I lost two bad frames to go 4-2 and 5-3 down. But I was lucky that Judd missed the brown at 5-3, it looked all over.  

“It has to go down as one of my biggest ever wins because Judd is such a great champion and he had won so many matches against me in the last few years. He probably felt the match was easy, at 3-0 perhaps he took his foot off the pedal, and this game never forgives you. I will enjoy tonight and tomorrow just go out and give it my all.” 

Trump, who had also hoped to win a third Masters title but remains without silverware for 13 months, said: “The brown at 5-3 was awkward, I felt if I screwed back I could go in-off, and I took my eye off it. In the last frame I had a chance but again it was awkward. I had my chances and I should have got over the line so I am disappointed. I just need to improve under pressure a bit and then I’ll be able to turn these things around, I have lost a lot of deciding frames this season. But John is a great player and took his chance.“

Evening Session

Warrior Digs Deep To End Wu Run

Kyren Wilson escaped from the jaws of defeat to beat Wu Yize 6-5 and raise his hopes of a first Johnstone’s Paint Masters title, setting up a final clash with John Higgins.

China’s 22-year-old Wu, playing in this event for the first time, had beaten Shaun Murphy and Xiao Guodong to reach the semi-finals and came so close to going a step further. But just like Judd Trump who let slip the chance to beat Higgins earlier today, Wu will leave London pondering what might have been, as he missed a red when just a few pots away from a 6-4 victory.

Renowned for his fighting spirit, world number two Wilson was flawless from that moment as he took the last two frames to reach the final at Alexandra Palace for the third time. He lost 10-7 to Mark Allen in 2018 and to Shaun Murphy by the same scoreline last year, and this time the 34-year-old from Kettering will be fiercely determined to get his hands on the Paul Hunter Trophy. First to ten frames on Sunday will bank £350,000.

Wilson, 2024 World Champion, won the Shanghai Masters at the start of the current season, and though he has struggled for deep runs in ranking events, another top prize in this invitation tournament would bring his earnings for 2025/26 over £740,000. His triumph over Wu was his second consecutive late night 6-5 success as he beat Neil Robertson by the same scoreline last night, but he will not be short of energy tomorrow in an intriguing clash with all-time great Higgins. Wilson has won just three of their 11 previous meetings but can draw on memories of a 13-8 defeat of the Scot en route to Crucible glory two years ago.

Wilson had first chance in the opening frame tonight but missed a red with the rest on 20 and Wu capitalised with 75. The Asian ace had a chance to snatch the second from 51-0 down but failed to pot the third-last red to a top corner, handing Wilson the table to make it 1-1. Frame three came down to the final pink and Wu’s attempted mid-range pot to a top corner rattled in the jaws, allowing Wilson to slot it into a centre pocket to take the lead.

Wu’s run of 69 made it 2-2 before Wilson regained the lead with a 76. In frame six, Wu was on 24 when he missed an awkward red to centre, and soon Wilson was 4-2 ahead thanks to a break of 74. Leading 32-1 in frame seven, Wilson misjudged a short range red to a top corner, and Wu made 74 to keep in touch. He kept his moment going with a run of 87 for 4-4, then his break of 58 in the ninth proved enough to edge Wu in front. 

With the balls at his mercy in frame ten, Wu missed a straight-forward red to top corner when leading 44-11, and Wilson fashioned a tremendous 46 clearance including a superb shot to move the blue off a side cushion. A safety mistake from Wu early in the decider turned out to be his last shot as Wilson brought the crowd to its feet with a break of 116, his sixth century of the week.

“I’m not sure how many more deciders I can take!” said Wilson. “At 5-4 it looked as if I was going home, but the snooker Gods shone on me. When Wu missed I saw a red to the middle which would give me a chance, that ignited something in me. I made a really good clearance there and then the century in the decider. 

“I felt coming here this week that I could compete, I had some confidence and belief. Finals here are always tough, I’ve played Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy and it doesn’t get any easier against John Higgins. He is a hero of mine, I grew up watching him and I love what he has given to the game, he is a role model.“

Wu, whose hopes of becoming the first debutant to reach the final at Alexandra Palace ended, said: “Neither of us played particularly well early in the match, then at 4–2 I played two or three good frames. That ball which could have finished the match 6–4, I don’t know why I missed it. It was just a miss, and I don’t understand why, maybe I was careless. Everything today felt worse than yesterday, and maybe that’s the experience I need to take away. I’ll go back and reflect on it. I don’t think this loss proves anything, and I’ll continue to move forward.”

Neither match went the way I wished but that’s how sports goes sometimes and Kyren Wilson is probably better equipped to face John Higgins than Wu would have been, and I hope he will win today.

The reports are comprehensive enough and I have nothing to add.

Afternoon session

Wonderful Wu Smashes Xiao To Reach Semis

Wu Yize gave a marvellous demonstration of his immense talent as he whitewashed Xiao Guodong 6-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters.

China’s 22-year-old Wu is now just two matches away from becoming the seventh player to win snooker’s biggest invitation event on his debut in the tournament. He will meet Neil Robertson or Kyren Wilson on Saturday evening and will hope for a repeat of today’s display which included a century and five more breaks over 50.

Winning Debutants

Players to win the Masters on their first appearance

1975 – John Spencer 
1977 – Doug Mountjoy 
1980 – Terry Griffiths 
1989 – Stephen Hendry 
2008 – Mark Selby 
2021 – Yan Bingtao

Today’s tie was new territory for both Xiao and Wu as neither had previously played in the quarter-finals of a Triple Crown event. But while 36-year-old Xiao looked nervy and made a series of unforced errors, his younger opponent rose to the occasion and relished the atmosphere in front of over 2,000 fans at Alexandra Palace.  

Since turning pro in 2021, Wu has made rapid progress in his career, culminating in his breakthrough moment at the International Championship in Nanjing two months ago when he beat John Higgins in the final to land his first ranking title, a result which vaulted him into the world’s top 16. And after beating defending champion Shaun Murphy 6-2 in the first round in London last Sunday, Wu again showed the full range of his ability as he became the first Masters debutant to reach the semi-finals since Yan Bingtao in 2021.

Wu made a flying start with breaks of 112 and 93 to take the first two frames. In the third, Xiao trailed 40-50 when he missed a long range pot on the penultimate red, handing Wu the chance to go 3-0 ahead. Runs of 54 and 60 extended Wu’s lead going into the interval.

Xiao had a scoring chance early in the fifth but made just 32 before running out of position and Wu punished him with 84 for 5-0. And just ten minutes later the tie was over as world number 13 Wu flew over the line with a run of 97.

Last night, Xiao cooked a dinner of steak and eggs for his close friend Wu, but after today’s defeat he was left eating humble pie. “I had chances in two or three frames but I missed some balls,” said Xiao. “Wu played really well and congratulations to him.”

Wu, who comes from Lanzhou in the north west of China, said: “I played well today and didn’t really give him many chances. We’re very good friends off the table, but once we’re in a match, we both give it everything. I potted some key long shots, and defensively I was strong. I tried to enjoy being out there and not put any pressure on myself.

“After my first match I had some problems with my cue tip, I went to get it fixed but practising over the past couple of days didn’t feel good at all. Then this morning I got a message from my dad saying he was waiting for me in the lobby and I knew he had come to help me fix my tip. He also gave me companionship and confidence, and overall everything became better. Just yesterday morning he was in China, I was video-calling him and we talked about the tip. Before the tournament we agreed that he would only come if I reached the semi-finals, so it was a surprise that he arrived this morning. 

“Tomorrow I hope I can perform even better and put on an even more exciting match for the fans who support me and love this sport.” 

Evening session

Kyren Wilson won an enthralling contest 6-5 against Neil Robertson to reach the semi-finals and keep alive his hopes of a first Johnstone’s Paint Masters title.

A fantastic match which included five centuries bubbled up to a dramatic finish as Wilson, who lost four frames in a row from 4-1 up, showed his Warrior qualities by taking the last two, making an excellent break of 42 at the key moment of the deciding frame. The Englishman goes through to meet Wu Yize on Saturday evening with the winner to face Judd Trump or John Higgins in Sunday’s final. 

World number two Wilson was runner-up to Mark Allen at Alexandra Palace in 2018 and to Shaun Murphy a year ago, losing both finals 10-7, and the 34-year-old will be desperate to go one further this time. With trademark resilience he came through a brutal test tonight and will approach the weekend high on confidence. Wilson hit a low point at last month’s UK Championship when he lost to Elliot Slessor in the opening round, but with a new cue the 2024 World Champion has his self-belief back in abundance. 

Wilson made a fabulous start to the tie as breaks of 110, 59 and 105 put him 3-0 ahead. Frame four was packed with incident, notably Robertson calling a foul on himself when he led 30-1, and he later failed to hit the yellow when attempting a roll-up snooker. Wilson had chances for 4-0 but missed pots on the final pink and black, and Robertson eventually slotted the black into a centre pocket to gain a foothold. 

World number three Robertson was on 28 in frame five when he overcut a red to a top corner, and Wilson took advantage with a run of 66 for 4-1. Back came Robertson as he won a scrappy sixth then made breaks of 110 and 107 to close to 4-4. That brought his tally of centuries at the Masters to 48 – only Ronnie O’Sullivan has made more with 86. In frame nine, Wilson had first chance but missed the black off the spot on 20 and Robertson’s counter of 65 edged him ahead for the first time.

On a break of 14 in the tenth, Australia’s Robertson ran fractionally out of position and had to play safe, then could only watch as Wilson converted a sizzling long red to set up a break of 111 for 5-5. In the decider, Robertson led 23-19 when he narrowly missed a long red to a top corner and it rolled over a centre pocket. Wilson clipped in the red and made 42 to leave his opponent needing snookers, and though Robertson battled on his efforts ended on the final brown.

“It was a pleasure to be involved in a game like that,” said Wilson. “I missed the black to go 4-0 up which was a schoolboy error, then another black off the spot at 4-4. Neil looked like he had the edge at that moment. I had a bit of luck at the right time at 5-4 down when it could have been game over. I potted a really good long red and cleared for 5-5. I got down for that red and just tried to get a good strike on the white, I was chuffed to see it drop. 

“At 5-5 we both went to the toilet then when we came back the crowd were applauding and shouting my name, I couldn’t help but smile, it gave me goosebumps. That’s what snooker is all about, the feel-good factor it gives you. Hopefully the fans all went home happy tonight. Wu Yize is a great talent and very good to watch with a fluent natural style. I really look forward to taking him on.“

Robertson, who landed this title in 2012 and 2022, said: “It was a brilliant match. I got something going from 4-1 down. At 5-4 I was a millimetre away from being in position, it’s fine margins. And in the decider effectively my last shot was a shot to nothing but the red finished over the middle, and Kyren composed himself really well for the winning break.“

I’m particularly happy for Wu Yize who I really like. He comes across as a cheerful, outgoing personality and he plays entertaining snooker. He’s not going to have it easy against Kyren though. Kyren was bitterly disappointed both time he lost in the final of this event. In 2018 in particular, I remember him being in tears during the “medals” ceremony. He will be determined to put that right, and will be strongly motivated. That said he may possibly put too much pressure on himself because he wants it so badly. We shall see.