John Higgins and Kyren Wilson win at Masters as curious run of 6-2 scorelines goes on
John Higgins defeated Barry Hawkins by the seemingly inevitable 6-2 scoreline. Photograph: Dylan Hepworth/Every Second Media/Shutterstock
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John Higgins defeated Barry Hawkins by the seemingly inevitable 6-2 scoreline. Photograph: Dylan Hepworth/Every Second Media/ShutterstockSnookerJohn Higgins and Kyren Wilson win at Masters as curious run of 6-2 scorelines goes on
Wilson defeats Si Jiahui, Higgins sees off Barry Hawkins
All six matches at Alexandra Palace have ended 6-2
Kyren Wilson, the 2024 world champion, defeated Si Jiahui in impressive fashion to reach the Masters quarter-finals with the 6-2 result continuing a curious statistic: every match at Alexandra Palace this week had finished with the same scoreline. That record extended in the evening session as John Higgins saw off Barry Hawkins, 6-2, to reach the last eight.
After edging the first frame following a run of snookers, Wilson – yet to win a tournament this season having broken his cue at the start of the campaign – looked set to build a maximum in the next, but just missed the 11th red into the bottom corner pocket as he moved 2-0 ahead.
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Si got on the board with a well-crafted break of 97 before the world No 2, who lost to Shaun Murphy in last year’s Masters final, dug in to re-establish his lead at 3-1 heading into the mid-session interval.
Although Si pulled another one back by taking a close fifth frame, Wilson, looking to move on from a disappointing first-round exit to Elliot Slessor at the UK Championship, then took the sixth 82-28 before closing out an impressive victory with successive century breaks of 101 and 105.
Speaking before the match, Wilson had described his defeat to Slessor as “one of the lowest points I’ve ever had”, and was understandably in a far more upbeat mood after reaching the last eight, particularly when it came to his new cue.
“It has been a really tough time so I thank you for all your love you have given me, it really lifted me,” he told the crowd after his win. “This venue can bring the best out of you. I still have a lot of time in this game so hopefully I can conqueror this venue for a long time. Having a cue I’m happy with, I’m just so excited I can deliver – the cue is so important. When you go out there and can’t trust what you’re using, you have no chance.”
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Kyren Wilson celebrates after defeating Si Jiahui. Photograph: Dylan Hepworth/Every Second Media/Shutterstock
Wilson will now play the winner of the match between Neil Robertson and Chris Wakelin, which takes place on Wednesday.
Higgins was in vintage form as the two-time Masters champion saw off the challenge of Hawkins. Despite losing the first frame, the 50-year-old Scot eased into a 3-1 lead, eventually completing six half-centuries – with a highest break of 99 – as he sealed a 6-2 victory.
“I was delighted with the way I hit the ball,” Higgins said afterwards. “Even at the start, I felt good in myself and Barry didn’t play as well as he can, but I’m delighted to beat someone as good as him.”
Higgins will face the reigning world champion, Zhao Xintong, in an enticing quarter-final on Thursday.
