In London, England, the Snooker Masters is igniting the flames of competition. Among the three major events in this sport - the World Championship, the Masters, and the UK Championship - the first two are ranking events, while the Masters is an elite invitation tournament. This season's Masters has witnessed an unprecedented transformation, with the total prize money increasing by 40%, jumping from £725,000 to £1,015,000. The champion will enjoy a generous reward of £350,000, the runner-up will receive £140,000, those who reach the semi-finals will get £75,000, and those who make it to the quarter-finals will also pocket £40,000. Even just participating in the event, players can easily take home £25,000.
In this competition, Ronnie O'Sullivan, known as "The Rocket," has repeatedly reached the top, becoming a legendary figure with the most championship wins in history. However, this reigning champion unexpectedly announced his withdrawal from this year's competition, a decision that left countless fans sighing with regret. Nonetheless, this also provides other players with an excellent opportunity to showcase themselves. Australian player Neil Robertson was fortunate enough to obtain a substitute spot, allowing him to continue pursuing his dreams.
This highly anticipated event has gathered 16 top-notch players: Kyren Wilson, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Mark Allen, Mark Williams, Luca Brecel, Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, Gary Wilson, Ali Carter, Barry Hawkins, Si Jiahui, John Higgins, Chris Wakelin, and Neil Robertson. Notably, three Chinese players - Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, and Si Jiahui - have joined this fierce competition.
The competition features a unique format arrangement. While the final will adopt a more stringent 19-frame, 10-win system, the rest of the matches will be played under a relatively relaxed 11-frame, 6-win system. This not only tests the technical level of the players but also their mentality and willpower.
In the first three rounds of competition, Neil Robertson staged an astonishing comeback. He fought back from a desperate situation of 1-5 down to eventually defeat Higgins 6-5, a scene reminiscent of a classic movie plot, touching the hearts of many. On the other side, Shaun Murphy won against Gary Wilson with a stable performance of 6-3. And Ding Junhui, relying on his tenacious spirit, managed to reverse the score and advance to the quarter-finals with a 6-5 victory over Mark Williams.
In the fourth match, the contest between Mark Selby and Ali Carter became the focus of attention.
The 41-year-old Selby, ranked fifth in the world, has won the World Championship four times, in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2020. Additionally, he has lifted the UK Championship trophy three times and won the Masters twice, accumulating a total of 24 ranking event titles, making him a double Grand Slam winner. His skills are exquisite, leaving spectators in awe, as if he were a general with extraordinary chess skills, always able to secure victory at critical moments.
The 42-year-old Ali Carter, ranked eleventh in the world, is also a formidable opponent. He has twice reached the World Championship final and owns five ranking event titles. More astonishingly, he has scored a perfect 147 three times in his career. Carter's style is sharp, and he possesses remarkable comeback abilities. As seen in the 2024 Snooker Masters quarter-finals, when facing Trump, he chased back from a 4-5 deficit, scoring a century break and five 50+ breaks, stunning the audience and ultimately winning 6-5. Similarly, in the same year's Snooker Tour Championship, Carter, after losing the first game, continued to score high points, defeating Barry Hawkins 10-8. Looking further back, in the 2024 World Snooker Wuhan Open qualifiers, he turned the tide by winning four consecutive games after trailing 0-2, securing victory 5-3, demonstrating his incredible resilience and fighting spirit.
In the first game, Selby took the lead with a precise 82-point shot, securing the win with a comfortable 95-24 score. The second game became extremely intense, with both sides exchanging blows, making the situation unpredictable. Selby seized the fleeting opportunity and narrowly won 63-59 in the end, expanding the total score to 2-0. In the third game, although Selby's first two attempts at offense did not yield any advantage, he pounced like a tiger waiting for its moment during his third attempt, locking in the victory with an impressive 108-point shot, ultimately winning 110-7 and taking a commanding 3-0 lead.
In the fourth game, Carter's opening shot seemed somewhat lacking in strength, and Selby keenly seized this momentary opportunity, accurately potting the red ball and securing the win with a single break of 93 points, pulling the big score to 4-0. In the fifth game, Carter finally found a breakthrough in a lucky shot, but after only scoring 30 points, he chose defense due to poor ball position. Both sides then engaged in an intense defensive battle, with Selby displaying breathtaking skills in defense, forcing Carter into consecutive mistakes and a penalty of 11 points. Subsequently, Selby's forced attack failed, giving Carter a chance to counterattack, and the latter scored 43 points before making a mistake. After several rounds of offensive and defensive exchanges, Carter managed to pull back one game with a hard-fought 84-55 victory.
In the sixth game, Selby's momentum was unstoppable, and a high break of 126 points completely ignited the passion of the arena, expanding the big score to 5-1 and securing the match point. In the seventh game, both sides appeared somewhat powerless in the offensive end, frequently making mistakes. However, Selby, with a break of 53 points, ultimately won 67-55, defeating Carter 6-1 and advancing to the quarter-finals.
Despite occasional brilliant performances by Carter in the match, he could only save face slightly, managing to pull back only one game in the face of Selby's relentless onslaught.