Snooker: Robertson 6-0'd and decider drama in Shanghai Masters' quarter-finals

The quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters snooker tournament got underway on Thursday morning, as 2025 world champion Zhao Xintong faced Neil Robertson, while reigning Shanghai champion Kyren Wilson aimed to continue his run towards back-to-back titles against Mark Williams.

Zhao had beaten out China's first snooker superstar Ding Junhui for a place in the quarters in convincing fashion, and he continued in the same form against the Aussie. Robertson didn't stand a chance, and frame after frame went the way of China's first snooker world champion.

Robertson only truly had a chance to take a frame off Zhao in the second frame, but despite attempting a boatload of snookers, even that frame went to the Chinese potting machine. A 6-0 whitewash isn't pretty reading for the "Thunder from down under", and with breaks of 117, 102, 98, 85 and 60, Xintong is looking a terrifying prospect for his semi-final opponent.

That opponent was decided between Wilson and Williams in a much more tightly contested affair. The match went back and forth, with reigning Shanghai Masters champion Wilson first storming to a 3-1 lead before Williams rallied four frames in a row to be on the brink of a spot in the semis.

However, Wilson kicked it up a gear, taking the match to 5-5 and forcing a dramatic decider that first forced a re-rack. After the restart, the first chance fell to Welshman Williams, but he was left to rue a guilt-edged miss on a pretty routine black right at the start.

Wilson saw his chance and took it, easing into a century break of 113 to continue his title defence against Zhao tomorrow. The second pair of quarter-finals to decide the other semi-final pairing begins at 12:30 today with some cracking action.



Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize will play out a rematch of their Snooker World Championship final from a few months ago, while Judd Trump faces John Higgins for the final semi-final spot.

Update after quarter-finals complete:

The semis will take place tomorrow on Friday between Wu Yize and Judd Trump at 07:00 (session 1) and 12:30 (session 2), while the second semi-final is at the same times on Saturday between Wilson and Zhao Xintong.











Source: TNT Sports