Six of the remaining contenders within the quarter-finals of the 2025 Masters draw have gained the celebrated snooker match earlier than.
The opposite two gamers signify the newest world champions, making it a stellar last-eight lineup on the Alexandra Palace in London.
There was loads of drama and high-quality play through the opening spherical of the competitors throughout the primary 4 days.
But three extra victories are nonetheless required so as to carry the Paul Hunter Trophy and declare the £350,000 prime prize.
It guarantees to be a barnstorming couple of days within the quarter-finals, so let’s check out every of the 4 clashes to stay up for.
2025 Masters Quarter-Finals
Neil Robertson vs Shaun Murphy
Neil Robertson was supplied a last-gasp alternative to characteristic within the 2025 Masters snooker draw after the withdrawal of reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.
It initially regarded as if the Australian was heading out the door simply as rapidly as he got here in it when he trailed John Higgins 5-1 on Sunday afternoon.
However Robertson fought again in miraculous trend to disclaim the Scot in a deciding-frame thriller.
Subsequent up is Shaun Murphy, who had a mid-match wobble however managed to come back by means of his early take a look at with Gary Wilson unscathed.
Robertson and Murphy have confronted one another in two Masters finals on the Ally Pally, so they’re accustomed to one another’s video games on the massive event.
It’s ten years for the reason that latter acquired his fingers on this trophy, a triumph that represents his final in a Triple Crown occasion.
Murphy boasts an inferior head-to-head report in opposition to Robertson, who will proceed to really feel like he’s enjoying with nothing to lose after being granted late entry.
When is it? Thursday, January sixteenth at 1pm UTC.
Mark Allen vs Mark Selby
Mark Selby, a three-time Masters snooker champion, reached the quarter-finals with arguably the perfect efficiency of the 2025 match to this point.
The Leicester man compiled a brace of century breaks, made three extra sizable contributions, and had opponent Ali Carter tied up in knots throughout his 6-1 defeat of the Captain.
Regardless of having loved a lot success on this occasion previously, it’s exceptional to suppose that Selby hasn’t even reached a semi-final since 2014.
Mark Allen shall be hoping to increase that pattern after the Pistol reached this stage of the competitors with a strong 6-2 win over debutant Si Jiahui.
Allen has misplaced a number of followers for his, at occasions, lifeless model of play throughout the final couple of years.
However the Northern Irishman ended 2024 with victory within the profitable Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, and he’s on target to begin the brand new calendar 12 months with a bang too.
Allen and Selby have confronted one another 27 occasions competitively, and the head-to-head couldn’t be nearer with the 2018 Masters champion main 14-13.
Curiously, they’ve encountered one another on this spherical 3 times previously, and on all three events the match has gone to a deciding body.
Selby gained 6-5 in each 2009 and 2010, whereas Allen acquired his personal again final 12 months in a tie the place he additionally constructed a memorable most break.
When is it? Thursday, January sixteenth at 7pm UTC
Judd Trump vs Ding Junhui
Judd Trump continues to occupy the position of favorite this 12 months after he orchestrated a powerful 6-1 success over Barry Hawkins in spherical one.
The runaway world primary has claimed two out of the final six Masters titles and is fancied so as to add to his main haul once more this weekend.
The 35 year-old ought to, nevertheless, face a stern examination of his problem for glory when he subsequent meets Ding Junhui.
China’s most interesting emerged from a dramatic affair with Mark Williams on Monday, profitable the final two frames to safe a 6-5 victory over the Welshman.
The final time Ding beat Williams within the final 16 of the Masters, he proceeded to etch his identify onto the silverware.
That was means again in 2011, the identical 12 months that Trump and Ding confronted off in a memorable semi-final showdown on the World Championship in Sheffield.
Trump edged a basic, and the Englishman has nearly held the higher hand from their head-to-head rivalry since then.
The 35 year-old has gained 11 out of their 20 battles in all competitions, together with within the ultimate of final 12 months’s World Open.
Ding’s triumph on the Worldwide Championship in November ended a five-year barren streak in rating occasions, nevertheless, making him a extra harmful risk within the majors as soon as once more.
When is it? Friday, January seventeenth at 1pm UTC
Luca Brecel vs Kyren Wilson
Whereas the opposite six gamers within the quarter-finals of the 2025 draw boast ten Masters crowns between them, Kyren Wilson and Luca Brecel are bidding for his or her first.
But they each undoubtedly possess the minerals required to go all the way in which to glory within the English capital metropolis.
Wilson and Brecel have between them gained the final couple of World Championship trophies on the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Whereas the latter has usually struggled for kind since then, Wilson has kicked on this season and added two extra rating titles to his assortment already.
The Kettering cueist rode his luck a bit of as he defied an enormous whole factors deficit to ultimately overcome Zhang Anda in a decent first-round affair.
Brecel, as he so typically does, combined the elegant with the atypical as he lastly moved past the problem of debutant Chris Wakelin.
The Belgian Bullet apparently boasts a superior head-to-head report in opposition to Wilson, together with victory on the latest Snooker Championship during which he reached the ultimate.
However the 29 year-old will seemingly have to chop out the unforced errors if he’s to oust the world quantity two who is set so as to add to his main haul.
When is it? Friday, January seventeenth at 7pm UTC
For the complete 2025 Masters snooker draw and schedule, click on right here.
Featured picture credit score: WST
