Three out of four matches yesterday were pretty one-sided, which is a bit surprising because this tournament is for the best performers in the season (so far) and you would expect most of them to play well.
The only close match, and the last to finish, was the one opposing Zhao Xintong and Elliot Slessor. That one went the distance. Zhao found himself 5-2 down, benefitted from a huge fluke on the blue in frame 8, won that frame and went on to win the match. Knowing Elliott … that surely didn’t go down well with him 😇 .
2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy said he is working harder than ever before, following a 6-1 demolition of Zhang Anda to make the quarter-finals of the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
The Magician began working with Peter Ebdon 18 months ago and he says that has initiated an enhanced work rate outside of the match arena. Over that period Murphy won the Masters for a second time last season and picked up the British Open title earlier this term.
Murphy made the final of the German Masters earlier this month, where he was runner-up to Judd Trump, and showed signs of that form again this afternoon. Following a tight first frame which went his way, Murphy embarked on a dramatic 147 attempt in the second. After potting 15 reds, an incredible table length cut on the 15th black found the heart of the pocket. Unfortunately he was snookered on the yellow and his run ended on 120.
Further runs of 88 and 81 helped Murphy to four of the next five frames and sealed his victory. That sets up a last eight meeting with either World Champion Zhao Xintong or Elliot Slessor.
“It has been a journey since Peter joined the team 18 months ago. One of the first things he said was that I needed to up my work rate. That I needed to work hard enough so I deserve it. I’ve always been a hard practiser, but I perhaps had started to enjoy my life a little bit too much. I’ve gone back to basics in the last 18 months. There are a lot of hours spent grafting that people don’t see and it is nice that it is coming out” said 43-year-old Murphy
“The old saying practice makes perfect isn’t true. It is practice makes permanent. If you are practising the wrong thing it means nothing. It is about quality and doing it more than anyone else. I’m determined that whilst I might not win every week, nobody will work harder than me. I will get the best out of the rest of my career and that involves living in my snooker room.”
On the other table, world number one Judd Trump booked his quarter-final berth with a 6-0 whitewash win against Zhou Yuelong.
Trump recently ended a title drought which saw him go all of 2025 without silverware. His victory over Murphy in the final of the German Masters meant there was an early tournament triumph in 2026.
It was an emphatic display this afternoon from the Ace in the Pack. Breaks of 61, 69, 63, 117 and 75 saw him storm over the finishing line. Next up he will play either Mark Williams or Barry Hawkins.
World Champion Zhao Xintong rallied from 5-2 down to beat Elliot Slessor 6-5 and make the quarter-finals of the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
Zhao is riding the crest of a wave currently, having prevailed in the first ever ranking event to feature four Chinese semi-finalists at the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong. The 28-year-old beat Zhang Anda in the final to capture his first ranking crown since becoming the Crucible king last year.
In winning last season’s World Championship, Zhao’s closest clash came in the qualifying stages against Slessor. Eventually he triumphed 10-8 in what was the pair’s only previous meeting to date.
This evening’s encounter saw Slessor dominate the early proceedings. Contributions of 119, 79, 50 and 64 helped the Newcastle cueman into his 5-2 advantage.
A fluked blue in frame eight proved to be pivotal. Zhao made 117 and turned the momentum of the tie. He went on to craft contributions of 62 and 59 in the following two frames to force a deciding frame at 5-5.
Both players spurned opportunities, but a break of 65 in the end took Zhao over the line and set up a last eight meeting with 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy.
“Tonight I didn’t play very well. I’m happy I managed to win. I only arrived back in the UK yesterday so I was a little bit jet lagged. I just have to try and get better in the next round,” said four-time ranking event winner Zhao.
“I know he is a very good player and it was always going to be a tough game. He played so well in the first frames and his long potting was so good. I didn’t have many chances. When he was one frame away he missed some balls and I tried to come back.
“I’m very happy I won in Hong Kong. It was my first ranking title in China so it was very important for me. I have no pressure now so I just want to enjoy every match.
“Shaun is a very strong player and I know it will be a tough game. To beat Shaun I know you have to play really well.“
On the other table, Mark Williams set up a mouth-watering showdown with Judd Trump after defeating Barry Hawkins 6-2.
Welshman Williams and Englishman Trump’s previous two ranking event meetings have been epic contests. Trump prevailed in the 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final, winning 10-9 on the final black. However, Williams got his revenge at last season’s World Championship, coming through their semi-final encounter 17-14.
Today’s match saw Williams craft breaks of 64 and 101 en route to a 5-2 advantage. The decisive frame came down to the final black, which Williams deposited brilliantly to the yellow pocket to get over the line.
Murphy working with Ebdon is a strange combo given how different their “style of play” are, but it seems to work for now. As long as Ebdon doesn’t turn Shaun into someone putting all balls on cushions and dragging matches for hours … ok. I don’t think the risk is too high here given Shaun’s personality.
Of the “class of 92”, Willo is the eldest but the one who seems to play the best snooker consistently for now. I guess that his “carefee” attitude is a big factor. High stress levels usually don’t bring good performances.
With little more than two months before he defends his Crucible crown, Zhao Xintong produced the perfect reminder of his wonderful talent as he made five century breaks in a 10-6 victory over Zhang Anda in the final of the World Grand Prix.
It’s a first ranking title of the season for Zhao and a huge boost in confidence for the 28-year-old Chinese ace with his return to Sheffield on the horizon. It’s his fourth ranking title, bringing him level with Barry Hawkins, Luca Brecel and Ryan Day on the all-time list, and he has now won all four of his ranking finals having landed the 2021 UK Championship, 2022 German Masters and 2025 World Championship. He receives the World Grand Prix trophy for the first time and a cheque for £180,000, climbing one place to seventh in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings.
Though he captured the invitational Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in November, it has been a patchy season in ranking events for Zhao before this week as he had failed to reach a final and stood outside the top 16 of the Sportsbet.io One-Year list. However as the superb Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong he has more than made amends and now climbs to sixth on that list, cementing a place in the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford this month and almost certainly the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester.
On a week when history was made by the performances of Chinese players, with a record nine reaching the last 16, six making the quarter-finals and then a unique all-Chinese semi-final line-up, Zhao again proved himself the best of the generation which is flying in the slipstream of Ding Junhui’s earlier success.
Zhang, age 34, matched his opponent in the first session which finished 4-4, but could do little in the concluding stages as Zhao pulled away. Banking £80,000, Zhang moves up three places to 20th on the official list and has also secured a spot in Telford having jumped to 15th on the one-year list. He misses out on a second ranking title and first since the 2023 International Championship, and has now lost three of his four finals.
Breaks of 85 and 75 gave Zhao the first two frames of the evening session and a 6-4 lead. Zhang pulled one back with a run of 53 before Zhao’s 111 made it 7-5 at the interval. Frame 13 went to Zhang with a break of 73, but he scored just 25 points in the remainder of the match as Zhao rattled through the last three frames with 134, 65 and 131. Over his five matches the Cyclone swept in a total of nine centuries and 17 more breaks over 50.
“We both played very well today, our scoring was at a high level throughout the match,” said Zhao, who grew up in Shenzhen close to Hong Kong. “Perhaps later on I managed to take a few more chances. My mindset settled down nicely and my rhythm improved, which allowed me to play better and better. I was waiting for that one chance in every frame, then my aim was to push on and put pressure on him by getting well ahead. In the second half of the match, I was able to do that consistently, which made me very happy with my performance.
“There’s no real secret to winning finals. I think it’s just about being patient with yourself and making the most of every single opportunity. In the first two rounds of the tournament, I was actually very close to being knocked out, especially being 4-1 down against Mark Selby. Fortunately, I managed to fight my way back and give myself another chance to go deep in the event and compete for the title.
“I don’t feel that I’ve completely lifted the pressure of playing as World Champion yet. Mentally I still feel there is room to learn from the very top players. This season so far, although I’ve had some good results, I feel that my overall consistency hasn’t been as strong as the very best. That’s an area I know I still need to improve.
“I really want to thank all the fans here for their support. They gave me a huge amount of motivation. Playing in Hong Kong is very special for me, and being able to win the title here makes it even more meaningful. I’m truly very grateful to everyone in the arena for their support.”
This was a match of the highest quality. Other than the opening one, every frame featured a break over 50. As mentioned by WST, Zhao made five centuries en route to victory, including a 145 in frame 7.
I hope that nobody will begrudge Zhao his triumph. Yes, he made mistakes, but he has served his ban and has obviously worked very hard to redeem himself since his return to competition.
The arena didn’t look full but then it’s a really huge arena. Also, I wonder about the tickets pricing policy. The average Chinese fan’s earnings are far lower than the average European fan’s earnings. I remember chatting about that in Shanghai with one fan who said that he was better off than the vast majority of his compatriots and still, buying decent seats for himself and his wife had cost him half of his monthly salary. Of course, that was several years back but I’m not sure the situation is much different today. Maybe Lewis can tell us more?
Judd Trump beat Shaun Murphy by 10-4 yesterday evening to win the German Masters for the fourth time. Judd has really been the prince of the Tempodrom in this decade, emerging the champion in Berlin 4 times over the last 7 years.
Congratulations Judd Trump
Shaun must be very disappointed: he certainly wanted to win this event to honour the memory of his late friend and mentor Brandon Parker, and, maybe, he put a bit too much pressure on himself because of that. Yesterday, he never found the form that had he had shown all week and earned him his place in the Final.
But if Brandon is somewhere “up” looking down on the snooker, he is surely proud and happy to see how his “tounament-child” has grown and developed into one of the best events in the snooker calendar. When it comes to the atmosphere on the final week-end, it’s second only to the Crucible one-table setup time.
Judd Trump ended a 14-month title drought by beating Shaun Murphy 10-4 in the final of the Machineseeker German Masters at Berlin’s iconic Tempodrom.
It’s a record-extending fourth win in the event for Trump, following previous wins in 2020, 2021 and 2024. He beat Neil Robertson, Jack Lisowski and Si Jiahui in the respective title matches.
The Bristolian last captured silverware at the 2024 UK Championship and went without a title in the calendar year of 2025. He lost his last three ranking final appearances at the 2025 Players Championship, 2025 Northern Ireland Open and the 2025 UK Championship.
Trump has now won 31 ranking events in total and he’s fourth in the all-time list. Only John Higgins (33), Stephen Hendry (36) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (41) have won more in the history of snooker.
2019 World Champion Trump remains at the top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, after capturing the £100,000 top prize, having now occupied the summit for 75 weeks. Murphy also remains unmoved in seventh position.
The Magician will be disappointed not to have taken his form from previous rounds into the final. He powered past Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson by a collective scoreline of 16-2 in his previous three matches.
43-year-old Murphy would dearly have loved to win the event in tribute to his late manager and close friend Brandon Parker, who the trophy is named after. Parker was instrumental in taking the German Masters to Berlin and promoting it.
The pair emerged to a rapturous reception in a packed Tempodrom this evening, with over 2,400 expectant fans in attendance. It was Trump who held a 5-3 cushion when play got underway for the final session.
Murphy looked in a strong position to take the opening frame of the evening when he led 60-0. However, a misjudged shot by Trump fortuitiously left Murphy angled in the jaws of the green pocket. His response let Trump back in the frame and he eventually stole on the black to make it 6-3.
The tenth frame was also stolen on the black by the Ace in the Pack and a break of 68 compounded Murphy’s woes and moved Trump 8-3 up. The last frame before the mid-session also came down to the wire, with Trump taking it on the pink to get within a frame of the title.
Trump squandered his first chance to seize the trophy and it was the turn of Murphy to win on the black and stay alive at 9-4. The crowd were hungry for more snooker and roared with delight after Murphy deposited the final ball. However, it was to be a short-lived reprieve with Trump controlling a scrappy 14th to get over the line and emerge a 10-4 victor.
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.
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 