Live now! Snooker Masters: Zhao Xintong faces Gary Wilson for a spot in the quarterfinals

On January 13th Beijing time, the first round of the Snooker Masters continues fiercely. According to the latest schedule, another semifinal spot will be decided early this morning. Chinese player Zhao Xintong is set to play against Gary Wilson. Their match has already started. Who do you think will come out victorious?

So far, three last-16 matches in the Masters have concluded. Three major champions—Murphy, Selby, and Mark Williams—have been knocked out. Meanwhile, Wu Yize, Xiao Guodong, and Mark Allen have advanced to the quarterfinals. Interestingly, all lower-ranked players defeated higher-ranked opponents, with non-major champions beating major champions, all by a score of 6-2. The fourth match features Zhao Xintong against Gary Wilson!

Zhao Xintong is the reigning World Championship winner and has also claimed the UK Championship title. Thus, he only needs the Masters title to complete the career Triple Crown. Currently ranked 8th in the world—the highest among Chinese players—Zhao has yet to win a ranking event this season and often exits early, showing inconsistent form. However, he did win the invitational Riyadh Masters. While Zhao clearly has the skill to win, he lacks stability and dominance. His strength lies in offense, but his defense is still a weakness. His biggest flaw is playing too casually!

His first-round opponent is Gary Wilson, ranked 17th globally. Wilson has also won ranking events and is strong both offensively and defensively. When he’s in form, he fears no opponent!

Zhao Xintong will face a real challenge this time and must not be careless. He needs to give his all, always keeping the goal of achieving the Triple Crown in mind. In a tough battle, the brave prevail. Their match has already begun—looking forward to an exciting contest. Good luck!

Written by/Titan Sports Fiction