With the dust now settled on Shaun Murphy’s victory at the 2025 Masters, focus now turns to Germany for the 2025 German Masters.
All of the best players in the world with the exception of Ronnie O’Sullivan will be in attendance and there are several intriguing storylines that could roll out over the course of the week. Let’s explore some of these in more detail.
Judd Trump will hope to live up to favourite status
Judd Trump will once again start this week as the favourite for victory and he arrives in Germany with plenty to prove following his semifinal exit from the Masters.
Hoping to complete the second leg of the Triple Crown in the same season, Trump would end up losing to rival Kyren Wilson and he will be severely hoping that he can reach the final so that he can exact revenge on the World Champion.
With both Trump and Wilson clear atop of the snooker world rankings, the two have gone onto develop a rivalry that has the ability to transcend the sport for years to come. As the top two seeds, the two will only meet if they can reach the final and everyone in attendance will hope that the two can progress so that we can witness yet another special encounter between the pair.
Shaun Murphy will be aiming to build on stunning Masters victory
Few would have predicted that at the end of the Masters it would be Shaun Murphy who would be left standing victorious, but after wins over Gary Wilson, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson that is exactly what happened.
Murphy has been a force on the professional tour for the best part of two decades but despite boasting a hugely impressive career resume, his talents have often been overshadowed by the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Mark Williams and Judd Trump.
His win at the Alexandra Palace was his second Masters title and he will be out to prove that he can back up that stunning effort with another big display this week.
Drawn against world number 86 Liam Graham in the opening round, a potential last 32 encounter against Stuart Bingham awaits before potential matches against Junhui Ding, Mark Allen and Judd Trump.
If Murphy is to make the final this week he will certainly have to do it the hard way, but nobody in the game is playing as well as the Masters Champion and he will want to showcase his talents and skill once more this week.
Big names will be hoping for a big week
Although the World Championship is just under three months away, some of the biggest names in the game will be wanting to use tournaments like the German Masters to help play themselves into the form.
Mark Selby loves the World Championship, a four time winner at the Crucible, after a tricky 2024 he ended the year with a bang and offered a timely reminder to his rivals about what a great player he is.
Ranked fifth in the world rankings, he would have been disappointed that his Masters ended with a tame effort to Mark Allen and he will hope that is firmly behind him this week.
He will kick off his campaign against world number 63 Hongyu Liu and he is the heavy favourite for the win. Drawn in the same section as the now withdrawn O’Sullivan, Selby looks to have a good chance of having a deep run this week. Potential matches against Si Jiahui, Gary Wilson and Mark Williams lie in wait ahead of a possible semifinal against Kyren Wilson, but Selby will be hopeful of his chances.
Another man looking for a positive week is Mark Allen. Allen would have fancied his chances of winning a second Masters title a few weeks ago but came unstuck when he ran into an inspired Shaun Murphy.
The next few months look set to be huge for the Northern Irishman, without doubt one of the most talented men in the game, Allen’s quest for a maiden World Championship will resume in a few weeks and he will be desperate to finally get his hands on one of the biggest prizes that the sport has to offer.
Drawn to face world number 60 David Lilley in the opener, a last 32 contest against the super talented Jackson Page awaits. Scheduled to meet his nemesis Shaun Murphy in the quarterfinals, if he can exact revenge on the Magician a tough semifinal against Judd Trump awaits. Allen won’t be intimidated by what is ahead of him and he will be hoping to use this week as a serious marker now that the World Championships are looming into view.
Race for the top 16 set for defining week
With just two months to go before the cut off for the World Championship everybody will be looking for a place inside the world’s top 16 so they avoid the tricky prospect of having to qualify for the snooker’s biggest tournament.
With barely anything separating John Higgins in 14th in the rankings and Neil Robertson in 20th, those just outside the bubble of the top 16 will be hoping for a good week so that their automatic chances of qualifying for the World Championship are greatly improved.
John Higgins is an all-time great in the sport and of those trying to keep their hopes alive of a top 16 place he is arguably the biggest name.
With the pressure on, Higgins will be hoping to make the most of a fairly generous draw. He will open up against Mark Davis before a last 32 contest against Jack Jones.
If he can win those two matches he is scheduled to meet Kyren Wilson in the last 16. Although he will start as the underdog for that encounter, Higgins has beaten the world number two before and will hope he can do that once more this week in Germany.
Andrew Blakely
At 35, Andrew Blakely stands as a seasoned expert in both snooker and its betting intricacies. A dedicated player and analyst, he offers keen insights derived from years in the field. Through his writings, Andrew aspires to guide enthusiasts navigating the captivating world of snooker betting.
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