On January 14, 2025, four of the top eight players have emerged in the Snooker Masters, coincidentally being four of the "Five Tigers" from the 80s: Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui, and Selby have advanced in order, with only Trump remaining. Selby won a big victory 6-1, eliminating last year's runner-up Carter.
Born in 1983, Selby is the first person to win major tournaments among those born in the 80s, ranked 5th in the world, with a career record of 23 ranking tournament titles, including a total of 9 major tournament championships (World Championship 4 times, UK Championship 2 times, Masters 3 times). His last championship was at last year's British Open. Selby's playing style requires high personal concentration, and his results are not very stable due to aging, with average overall performance during this period.
Carter, born in 1979, is ranked 11th in the world, with six ranking tournament victories in his career, many runners-up in the three major events. What stands out in the memory of fans is that Carter lost 7-10 to O'Sullivan in last year's Masters, ultimately finishing as the runner-up. Now, in the first round against Selby, although both are top players, there is a significant gap in personal achievements, and Carter was not favored by everyone for this match.
After the start of the game, Selby made a single shot of 62 points in the first game, taking the lead with a score of 95-24. In the second game, both sides made mistakes, but Selby seized the opportunity to narrowly win 63-59. In the third game, Carter made a red ball but failed to continue, while Selby took over and blasted a single shot of 108 points. In the fourth game, Carter missed a shot, and Selby made a single shot of 93 points to win another game. Selby was in good form, while Carter's on-site performance was not as good as last year.
After the intermission, Carter made multiple shots in the fifth game, winning the tussle 84-55. In the sixth game, the defense was still lacking, and Carter gave away another chance by missing a shot. Selby blasted a single shot of 126 points to take the match point first. In the seventh game, Carter still had no improvement, and Selby made a single shot of 53 points to end the game 67-55, ultimately defeating Carter 6-1. This result met expectations, and in summary, the victory was easier than expected.
In the completed games, Ding Junhui defeated Mark Williams 6-5 in an exciting match. Ding Junhui made single shots of 69 points, 64 points, and 60 points, while Mark Williams blasted single shots of 136 points, 70 points, and 57 points. Each player won four games. In the ninth game, Ding Junhui made a single shot of 66 points but was reversed by one point by his opponent clearing the table. Subsequently, Ding Junhui made single shots of 90 points and 76 points to win two consecutive games, saving a match point and successfully turning the tide.
From January 14 to 15, two more spots in the top eight will be determined, with Trump vs. Hawkins at 9 pm, and Si Jiahui vs. Mark Allen at 3 am. Ding Junhui has already passed, which can be considered a good start for Chinese snooker. Let's see if Si Jiahui can keep up the pace, and let's wait and see,加油！