Live Blog
- Alex Smith, Sports Reporter
- Updated: 14:29, 31 Jan 2025
THE German Masters is starting to truly vigor up successful Berlin!
World champion Kyren Wilson progressed to the quarter-finals with a comfy 5-3 triumph implicit Jak Jones, and is facing Anthony McGill RIGHT NOW!
Defending champion Judd Trump is OUT of the contention pursuing a daze nonaccomplishment to Neil Robertson.
Masters victor Shaun Murphy was besides eliminated connected Thursday nighttime aft a constrictive 5-4 decision to Yuan Sijun.
- Start time: From 2pm GMT
- TV channel: Eurosport 1
- Live stream: discovery+
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Opening frames
A decent commencement from Hill, but Xiao shows his prime instantly with a interruption of 95 to proceed his good form.
McGill, with the assistance of a fluke shot, takes the archetypal framework against Wilson.
- Xiao Guodong 1-0 Aaron Hill
- Anthony McGill 1-0 Kyren Wilson
We're underway
The enactment has begun connected some tables successful Berlin, with Xiao and McGill making coagulated starts successful the aboriginal stages.
- Xiao Guodong 0-0 Aaron Hill
- Anthony McGill 0-0 Kyren Wilson
Coming up today
Here is simply a look astatine today's quarter-final schedule:
- 2pm - Xiao Guodong vs Aaron Hill
- 2pm - Anthony McGill vs Kyren Wilson
- 7pm - Neil Robertson vs Yuan Sijun
- 7pm - Wu Yize vs Barry Hawkins
Looking overseas
China, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia person been tipped arsenic imaginable World Championship locations beyond 2027.
WST main Simon Brownell has stressed snooker indispensable proceed to turn successful that portion of the world.
He said: "Riyadh has been hugely successful, Hong Kong is the icing connected the barroom for our expansion.
"We request to instrumentality it to caller audiences, to present thing that’s accessible to them and wherever they consciousness similar they tin engage, and interaction the athletics themselves."
Major Crucible boost
World Snooker Tour main Simon Brownell has hinted that World Championships could enactment astatine the Crucible beyond 2027.
He told the South China Morning Post: "We’re successful an statement [with] Sheffield, we’re talking astir continuing that agreement.
"Sheffield has been the location of the World Championships for astir 50 years now. It’s a special, peculiar place.
"We’re talking to the squad successful Sheffield to marque definite that lawsuit doesn’t suffer arsenic a effect of that and putting successful spot ways to marque that lawsuit arsenic large arsenic possible.
"It’s ever hard to get the equilibrium right, betwixt keeping the contented and exploring caller markets."
Underdog story
Aaron Hill is assured the fans astatine the German Masters volition enactment connected his broadside successful the quarter-final versus Xiao Guodong.
He said: "The assemblage has been astonishing each week. I'd similar to convey them really arsenic they've been a large enactment to me.
"I bushed Mark Williams successful the archetypal circular and I deliberation they similar an underdog. Hopefully they tin enactment connected my side."
Making history
Aaron Hill saw disconnected a Tom Ford comeback yesterday to scope conscionable his 2nd ever ranking lawsuit quarter-final.
Despite his inexperience astatine this level, helium remains composed and is not present to conscionable marque up the numbers, saying: "It's different game. I'll effort to person the aforesaid mentation I've had each week, but it volition beryllium a pugnacious match.
"That is what you expect erstwhile you are playing successful this extremity of the tournament.
"I'm delighted to beryllium present now, but hopefully I'm not finished yet."
Topping Trump
Neil Robertson is looking to implicit snooker and yet get his hands connected 1 of the lone trophies helium is yet to triumph successful his glittering career.
After beating Judd Trump 5-2 yesterday, the Aussie said: "Every subordinate coming present wants to get down to the azygous array and I'm conscionable 1 triumph away.
"This is beauteous overmuch the lone tourney I haven't won. Motivation is other high, if it wasn't already.
"I got to the last a fewer years agone present against Judd and it was an astonishing occasion. The assemblage emotion it.
"They get much enthusiastic the person it gets to the final. They applaud adjacent straightforward shots and it is simply a privilege to play here. I ever get tremendous enactment successful Germany."
Today's quarter-finals - with Wilson present favourite
Just 2 top-16 stars are successful the German Masters quarter-finals.
And with Judd Trump arsenic good arsenic in-form Shaun Murphy exiting yesterday, reigning satellite champ Kyren Wilson is present the tourney favourite.
The World No. 2 takes connected Scottish outsider Anthony McGill.
Xiao Guodong's 5-1 decision of Elliot Slessor should further summation his assurance of beating Aaron successful the different 2pm clash.
And the astir intriguing match-ups mightiness beryllium astatine 7pm.
Ex-world champ Neil Robertson takes connected Yuan Sijun, who impressively pipped Murphy 5-4 successful the past 16.
And Chinese 21-year-old Yu Yize against World No. 12 Barry Hawkins could beryllium the prime of the action.
Wu volition surely interruption break into the elite rankings beauteous soon and helium bushed Hawkins successful their lone erstwhile contention - successful Edinburgh conscionable a period ago.
Schedule:
- 2pm - Xiao Guodong vs Aaron Hill
- 2pm - Anthony McGill vs Kyren Wilson
- 7pm - Neil Robertson vs Yuan Sijun
- 7pm - Wu Yize vs Barry Hawkins
Yesterday's results - arsenic Robertson stuns Judd
Neil Robertson's 5-2 decision of satellite no. 1 Neil Robertson was the stand-out people successful the past 16.
But Xiao Guodong and Wu Yize besides impressed.
And a 3rd Chinese star, Yuan Sijun, stunned caller Masters champ Shaun Murphy 5-4.
Results:
- Wu Yize 5-2 Alexander Ursenbacher
- Barry Hawkins w/o Ricky Walden
- Elliot Slessor 1-5 Xiao Guodong
- Anthony McGill 5-2 Zhang Anda
- Jak Jones 3-5 Kyren Wilson
- Tom Ford 3-5 Aaron Hill
- Yuan Sijun 5-4 Shaun Murphy
- Judd Trump 2-5 Neil Robertson
Walden forced to propulsion retired aft infirmary visit
Ricky Walden had to retreat from yesterday's clash with Barry Hawkins connected "medical grounds" aft being taken to hospital.
Walden, 42, was targeting his archetypal quarter-final spot astatine a elder lawsuit since 2023.
But helium pulled retired overnight - with the quality of his information not revealed.
A connection from the World Snooker Tour read: "Ricky Walden has withdrawn from the ongoing Machineseeker German Masters connected aesculapian grounds."
German snooker fable Rolf Kalb posted connected X: "Bad news. Ricky Walden had to beryllium taken to infirmary past nighttime and was truthful forced to withdraw..."
Murphy each but predicted his Yuan woe!
Shaun Murphy admitted helium was suffering from a Masters "hangover" - and not expecting to win.
So possibly that's wherefore helium didn't look excessively amazed to slump 5-4 to Sijun Yuan - contempt hanging successful determination and taking it each the way.
The Magician said: "I tin guarantee you that determination was a post-Masters hangover. Absolutely determination was, if you’d person asked maine to play snooker connected Tuesday that would’ve been precise difficult."
But helium added: "I truly privation to ringing retired each past driblet of imaginable from whatever’s near of my career.
"Maybe determination could beryllium 10 years, possibly there’s lone 5 years. Who knows. But I truly americium determined to propulsion connected and not person specified a large spread betwixt successes."
Allen vows ne'er to instrumentality - unless lawsuit changes
Mark Allen claims helium "hates" the German Masters and won't play determination again unless it dramatically changes.
Allen has agelong loathed the Tempodrom venue - good earlier his crushing nonaccomplishment to Wu Yize this week.
And helium posted connected X: "Not to beryllium successful this years German Masters. Well done to Wu. Anyone who sees maine backmost astatine this lawsuit nether existent conditions has support to archer maine off. Thanks successful advance."
The Northern Ireland prima added: "So (my) hate/hate matter with the German Masters continues. Seriously hatred the event. So distracting for each players who aren't connected array one.
"Will not beryllium backmost until set-up changes. Such a shame by the mode astir Germany arsenic it has the imaginable to beryllium amazing. Great venue and packed crowds each day. Set-up indispensable alteration though."
Latest people – Yuan stuns Murphy with victory
Sijun Yuan held his nervus good successful a ninth-frame decider to bushed Shaun Murphy 5-4.
The Chinese prima took the framework 62-8.
Earlier breaks of 76, 78 and 127 enactment him 3-2 earlier Murphy levelled astatine 3-3 and 4-4.
But Yuan deservedly triumphed by taking the last frame.
- RESULT: Sijun Yuan 5-4 Shaun Murphy
Latest people – choky finale
- Sijun Yuan 4-4 Shaun Murphy (5-1)
Latest people – Murphy takes it each the way
It's been a cagey commencement to the deciding frame.
- Sijun Yuan 4-4 Shaun Murphy (4-1)
Latest people – Murphy takes it each the way
Shaun Murphy enactment unneurotic his 2nd decent interruption of the eighth framework to mean this last lucifer of the nighttime is going each the way.
- Sijun Yuan 4-4 Shaun Murphy (0-0)
Latest people – Murphy sweating
Sijun Yuan took the seventh framework to determination 1 from a notable triumph implicit Shaun Murphy.
But Murphy is good connected apical successful the eighth frame, processing a interruption beyond 30 truthful far.
- Sijun Yuan 4-3 Shaun Murphy (0-32)
Latest scores – Robertson wins
- RESULT: Judd Trump 2-5 Neil Robertson (0-29)
- Sijun Yuan 3-3 Shaun Murphy (61-12)
- RESULT: Tom Ford 3-5 Aaron Hill
Latest scores – Trump reeling
Neil Robertson is moving smoothly up to enactment triumph successful show implicit Judd Trump.
Aaron Hill's 74 interruption gave him a thrilling 5-3 triumph implicit Tom Ford, who had trailed 4-0.
- Judd Trump 2-4 Neil Robertson (0-29)
- Sijun Yuan 3-3 Shaun Murphy (34-4)
- RESULT: Tom Ford 3-5 Aaron Hill
Latest scores – Robertson 1 framework from triumph
Neil Robertson's 86 clearance moved him 4-2 up implicit Judd Trump.
And Aaron Hill is gathering what could beryllium a match-winning interruption to ruin Tom ford's comeback.
- Judd Trump 2-4 Neil Robertson (0-0)
- Sijun Yuan 3-3 Shaun Murphy (30-0)
- Tom Ford 3-4 Aaron Hill (0-43)
Latest scores – Trump battling to level again
Neil Robertson took the 5th framework 64-6 to determination successful beforehand against Judd Trump successful a genuinely tense clash.
Shaun Murphy is trailing successful the seventh framework astatine 3-3 against Sijun Yuan
And Tom Ford has won 3 frames successful a enactment brilliantly erstwhile each seemed mislaid against Aaron Hill.
The English ace needs 1 much to instrumentality it each the way.
Breaks of 86, 56 and 77 took Hill from 4-0 down to lone 4-3 behind.
- Judd Trump 2-3 Neil Robertson (45-25)
- Sijun Yuan 3-3 Shaun Murphy (25-0)
- Tom Ford 3-4 Aaron Hill (0-7)
Latest scores – Murphy levels
Shaun Murphy eked retired the sixth framework 63-33 to spell each quadrate again with Yuan Sijun.
And Neil Robertson appears to beryllium successful power arsenic helium bids to determination 3-2 wide of Judd Trump.
But Trump is backmost astatine the array with a sniff of a decent break.
- Judd Trump 2-2 Neil Robertson (6-50)
- Sijun Yuan 3-2 Shaun Murphy (0-0)
- Tom Ford 1-4 Aaron Hill
Latest scores – Neil gathering well
Neil Robertson is good placed for a important interruption successful the 5th framework against Judd Trump.
The Reds are dispersed mildly and invitingly arsenic the Aussie builds calmly,
points amended successful the 5th framework to instrumentality the lucifer lead.
- Judd Trump 2-2 Neil Robertson (0-37)
- Sijun Yuan 3-2 Shaun Murphy (33-38)
Latest scores – Murphy and Trump successful choky fights
Legends Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy person plentifulness of enactment to bash to scope the quarter-finals.
And successful information a superb 131 interruption from Yuan Sijun has conscionable enactment him 3-2 up against Masters champ Murphy.
He rattled disconnected 102 to level astatine 2-2 earlier helium went 29 points amended successful the 5th framework to instrumentality the lucifer lead.
- Judd Trump 2-2 Neil Robertson (0-0)
- Sijun Yuan 3-2 Shaun Murphy (0-0)