The dust has long settled on the German Masters and after a truly nail biting final it was Kyren Wilson who emerged victorious. The world number two’s victory made up for his narrow defeat in the final of the 2025 Masters to Shaun Murphy and separated him further from the chasing pack when it comes to the world rankings.
With plenty of drama and twists and turns, here are some of the storylines that have emerged from a memorable German Masters.
Kyren Wilson shows that he is yet again a major player heading into the World Championship
The winner of the World Championship in 2024, Kyren Wilson shocked the world when he held his nerve to win snooker’s biggest prize, but since then Wilson has been on a collision course with greatness and has been able to rack up a second title in the space of four months.
His first victory came at the Northern Irish Open when he defeated Judd Trump on his way to the title and he backed that victory up with another success in Germany.
As is often the case, the Englishman was Seeded 2 at the event, but his road to the title certainly wasn’t the easiest. Paired off against the little known Kai Wai Cheung in the opening round, Wilson had to battle hard to get past his opponent, eventually prevailing 5-3.
That scoreline would once again be enough in his next two rounds as snuck past both Yuelong Zhou and Jak Jones in determined fashion. With his place in the quarterfinals secure, he would then be taken to the wire against Anthony McGill, needing to overcome a final frame shootout to secure his semi final berth.
In the semis Guodong Xiao proved more than a match for the World Champion but once again when it truly mattered it was the Englishman who prevailed, edging a gripping contest 6-4.
The final was always going to be a topsy-turvy affair with Wilson needing to overcome Barry Hawkins in order to capture a second German Masters title.
In a match that ebbed and flowed, both men looked like they had seized the initiative only for the other man to come battling back. With a final frame looking on the cards from a long way out both men had chances to win but with the pressure on, they would find a way to miss and the drama and tension would continue.
Eventually it was Wilson who was presented with another match winning opportunity and this time the world wouldn’t make a mistake.
With his second German Masters title in the bag Wilson has laid down a significant marker ahead of a vital few months before the World Championship.
Few men are playing as well as the defending champion and if he can keep this level of form and momentum up, he could well become the first man to defend his title since Mark Selby achieved the feat back in 2017.
Judd Trump falls short as he aims for first title in 2025
Judd Trump enjoyed a fantastic 2024 but headed to Germany looking to give his 2025 lift off.
Having fallen in the semi finals of the Masters to rival Kyren Wilson, Trump was looking to put that set back behind him in Berlin and successfully defend the title he won in 2024.
Seeded one for the event and the clear bookies favourite for victory, Trump only lost two frames on his way to the last 16, but when he faced his first opponent of real quality worryingly for fans of the world number one he became unstuck.
Whilst Neil Robertson is certainly no pushover, many would have expected Trump to have way too much quality but with his safety play off and with him missing regulation pots, he would end up on the wrong side of a heavy defeat and would leave Germany with plenty to ponder.
Over the last twelve months Trump has often proved to be in a league of his own, but these next few months are huge. Having just captured the one World Championship to date, the pressure on Trump to cement himself as one of the game’s greats is growing, but in order to cement his legacy he needs to add more World Championships to his resume.
Trump has failed before on the big stage and he won’t want to do so again. The pressure is well and truly on for him to deliver, he will hope to be able to live up to expectations this time around.
Big guns fall early, demonstrating snooker’s superb strength and depth
For those tuning into the action expecting to see a battle of the game’s heavyweights they would be left disappointed as the draw had a very unusual look to it.
Whilst Kyren Wilson would eventually show that the cream would rise to the top, there were several shocks through the early rounds of the tournament.
Both Mark Selby and Mark Allen would crash out in the second round with both suffering the heartache of losing final frame shootouts. Whilst Selby was his usual magnanimous self after the defeat, Allen was spiky in his post match press conference criticising both the venue and playing conditions, stating that he wouldn’t be coming back to Germany next year.
Luca Brecel’s struggles would continue as the former World Champion was another who would fall at the second stage, losing to eventual semi finalist Anthony McGill, 5-2.
The wait for Si Jiahui’s first professional ranking title goes on with the world number ten losing to compatriot Guodong Xiao in a thriller and John Higgins early defeat to Jak Jones could be telling.
With Higgins nervously looking over his shoulder when it comes to the race to securing his place in the World’s top 16 ahead of the cut off in March, his defeat to Jones left the door open for others to cash in. Only £30,000 now stands between Higgins in 13th place and Xiao in seventeenth and the race to finish inside the top 16 is set to feature many more twists and turns over the next few weeks.
When Barry Hearn took over the helm of World Snooker he envisioned a tour structure where the fields and quality would be strong across any tournament no matter what part of the world it was taking part in. The best players in the world have to be on their mettle every time they take to the table otherwise upsets can happen.
Tournaments like the German Masters showcase just how strong the game currently is. Whilst many of those towards the top of the rankings will still win many of the game’s top prizes, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to see some of the game’s lesser lights cause a shock and win some of the biggest titles going.
As shown at the German Masters, if you aren’t on your game, then there’s a good chance that you could be going home early.
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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