LONDON — The Masters at Alexandra Palace saw two of snooker’s most decorated names safely navigate their first-round tests on Tuesday, as former world champion Kyren Wilson and four-time Masters winner John Higgins booked their places in the quarter-finals with commanding performances.
Wilson, the 2020 world champion, put the disappointment of his UK Championship final defeat last month firmly behind him, dispatching China’s rising star Si Jiahui 6-2. Meanwhile, the evergreen John Higgins, a winner of this prestigious invitational event in 1999, 2006, 2016, and 2021, produced a vintage display to overcome a determined Mark Allen 6-5 in a high-quality, tense affair that concluded late into the evening.
Wilson Channels Disappointment into Determination
For Kyren Wilson, this year’s Masters presented an immediate opportunity for redemption. Just weeks ago at the Barbican in York, he fell at the final hurdle of the UK Championship, losing 10-7 to Ronnie O’Sullivan. Rather than let that setback linger, ‘The Warrior’ used it as fuel, starting strongly against the talented Si Jiahui, who was making his Masters debut after a stunning run to the World Championship semi-finals last April.
Wilson seized control from the outset, crafting breaks of 68 and 73 to establish an early 2-0 lead. Si, known for his fearless, attacking play, responded with a superb 130 clearance to get on the board, but Wilson’s consistency and tactical nous proved decisive. He took the next three frames, including a crucial steal on the black in the fifth, to lead 5-1. Si managed a century (102) to delay the inevitable, but Wilson clinically sealed the 6-2 victory in the next.
Speaking after the match, Wilson was candid about his mindset: "The UK was a tough one to take. You get to a major final and you want to win it so badly. But coming here, I just had to park it. This is a fresh tournament, a fresh canvas, and I felt I started positively today. I was solid and took my chances when they came."
Wilson’s performance was built on a foundation of strong safety and efficient scoring, a combination that will serve him well as the tournament progresses. His key strengths on display included:
- Controlled Aggression: Choosing his moments to attack with precision.
- Robust Safety: Limiting Si’s opportunities to build rhythm.
- Mental Resilience: Shaking off the York defeat immediately.
Higgins Edges Epic Battle with Allen
The evening session delivered a classic Masters encounter, as John Higgins and Mark Allen, both multiple Triple Crown winners, traded blows in a match of the highest quality. Higgins raced into a 3-0 lead with breaks of 72 and 135, but the Northern Irishman, champion here in 2018, displayed his trademark fighting spirit to reel off four frames in a row, including a 125 century, to lead 4-3.
The momentum swung again as Higgins, digging deep into his vast reserves of experience, won two tight frames to go one away from victory at 5-4. Allen, under immense pressure, responded with a magnificent 138 total clearance, the highest break of the tournament so far, to force a decider. In a tense final frame, it was Higgins who held his nerve, crafting a match-winning 65 break to clinch a 6-5 victory.
A relieved but thrilled Higgins acknowledged the caliber of the contest: "That was one of the best matches I’ve played in for a long time. The standard was incredible. Mark is such a fierce competitor, and to make a 138 under that pressure to go 5-5 was unbelievable. I’m just delighted to get through. At this stage of my career, you have to savour nights like this at venues like this."
The victory was a testament to the 48-year-old Scot’s enduring class and competitive fire. Despite not having won a ranking title since the 2021 Players Championship, performances like this on the biggest stages remind everyone why he remains one of the sport’s most formidable competitors. His break-building under pressure, particularly in the decider, was a masterclass in nerve.
Quarter-Final Line-Up Takes Shape
With these results, the quarter-final draw for the top half of the bracket is now complete. Kyren Wilson will face the in-form Judd Trump, who whitewashed Kyren’s brother, Liam Davies, in his opening match. This sets up a mouth-watering clash between two players at the very top of their game, with Trump seeking a second Masters title and Wilson aiming for his first.
In the other confirmed quarter-final, John Higgins will take on world number one and defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. This is a dream tie for snooker purists, a repeat of many legendary battles throughout their careers, including the 2006 Masters final which Higgins won 10-9. O’Sullivan looked imperious in his first-round win over Ding Junhui, making this perhaps the standout tie of the last eight.
The remaining first-round matches will determine the bottom-half quarter-finals, with the likes of Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, and Mark Williams still to enter the fray. The tournament is already living up to its reputation as snooker’s most intense and prestigious invitational, where every frame is contested with major final intensity.
Conclusion: Veterans Show Their Class
The opening days of the 2024 Masters have underscored a timeless truth in snooker: class is permanent. Both Kyren Wilson and John Higgins, at different stages of their careers, demonstrated the mental fortitude and skill required to triumph on this daunting stage. For Wilson, it was a statement of intent that he has moved on from past disappointments and is fully focused on adding another Triple Crown to his collection.
For Higgins, it was a reminder that his desire and ability to compete with the very best remain undimmed. His victory over a player of Mark Allen’s caliber, in such a dramatic fashion, sends a clear warning to the rest of the field. As the tournament moves into the quarter-finals, the narratives are compelling: can Wilson dethrone the in-form Trump? Can Higgins roll back the years once more against the sport’s ultimate force in O’Sullivan? Alexandra Palace awaits the answers.
