Six out of eight advance! A rare spectacle at the Snooker Masters: six matches ended 6-2, with Si Jiahui eliminated and Higgins progressing.

On January 14th Beijing time, the Snooker Masters round of 16 continued, producing two more quarterfinalists overnight. Remarkably, all the matches ended with a 6-2 scoreline. Among them, Kyren Wilson crushed the young Chinese player Si Jiahui 6-2, while Higgins, the last remaining member of the '75 trio, was in top form defeating Hawkins 6-2. This means six quarterfinal spots are now filled, with Chinese players still holding three of them!

Kyren Wilson faced Si Jiahui. The 90s-born world champion went up against the rising Chinese star, but their skill levels were worlds apart. Wilson dominated both offense and defense, while Si Jiahui struggled with positioning and defense, compounded by poor accuracy. He was helpless against Wilson’s relentless attack, losing both halves 1-3 and ultimately falling 2-6, thus missing out on the quarterfinals. Wilson scored two centuries and two 50+ breaks throughout the match, facing almost no pressure!

Higgins took on Hawkins. As the last surviving member of the '75 trio, Higgins had to win against the four-time semifinalist Hawkins. Hawkins started strong with a 58 break to take the lead. However, Higgins immediately fired back with three 50+ breaks, launching a 3-0 run and finishing the first half 3-1 ahead. In the second half, Hawkins responded with a 60+ break to narrow the gap to 2-3. But Higgins then repeated the same 3-0 attacking streak with three more 50+ breaks, sealing a convincing 6-2 victory. Higgins truly proves that his skill remains sharp; his calm and steady play is impressive, showing an unyielding desire to win flawlessly!

With this, six quarterfinalists have been confirmed: Wu Yize, Xiao Guodong, Mark Allen, Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, and Higgins. Interestingly, all six matches ended with the identical 6-2 scoreline—could this be a coincidence? Two quarterfinal spots remain, featuring an intense battle among the '80s five tigers with Ding Junhui versus Trump, and Robertson facing substitute Wakelin. We look forward to these thrilling encounters—stay tuned!

Written by / Sports Novel