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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 up to their encounter had finished with the same scoreline.
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.
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.”
Wilson will now play the winner of the match between Neil Robertson and Chris Wakelin, which takes place on Wednesday. John Higgins faces Barry Hawkins in Tuesday’s later match.
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This report will update
