2025 Masters Snooker: First round draw preview, match and head-to-head stats

We preview the opening round matches at the Ally Pally, looking at head-to-head stats, previous Masters performances, and seasonal form. We go down in draw order:

Neil Robertson v John Higgins

An unexpected Masters appearance for Neil Robertson, who has replaced reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the draw.

The opening match of this year’s event, it will be the first time that two-time Masters champions Robertson and Higgins have met on the professional circuit in front of a live audience since their 2022 Tour Championship final meeting, where Robertson dramatically recovered from 9-4 down to win six frames in-a-row for the title.

Despite being a multiple-time champion, Higgins has a bit of a love-disappointment relationship with the Masters, but perhaps more specifically the Alexandra Palace, where he has made the semi-finals ‘just’ once in 11 previous appearances there. When the event was held behind-closed-doors in Milton Keynes in 2021 due to Covid, Higgins reached the final.

Recent Masters outings for Robertson have been either ‘boom or bust’. From his last five, he lost first round four times, but won the title in 2022.

Both Higgins and Robertson have had highlights this season - the latter won the English Open - but neither have been at their absolute best for some time now.

Shaun Murphy v Gary Wilson

Champion here a decade ago when he completed a career Triple Crown, Shaun Murphy will be making a 20th consecutive Masters appearance (21st in total), exhibiting how he has remained within the top echelons of the sport for so long.

This isn’t technically Gary Wilson’s first Masters experience, but it kind of is. In 2021 as the world number 19, he played at the Covid-affected Masters when a couple of players in front of him were withdrawn. This will be his first ‘full’ Masters experience and Alexandra Palace bow.

Murphy had a strong start to the season with a final in Shanghai and semi-final in Saudi, but results have generally tailed off in recent months. Three-time ranking event champion Wilson will be disappointed with his 2024/25 term, so far, making the last eight of one tournament.

In terms of overall head-to-head record in professional competition, Murphy leads 4-2.

Mark Allen v Si Jiahui

Mark Allen is one of eight former Masters champions in this year’s draw and Si Jiahui is one of two Masters debutants.

Both players travel to North London on highs. Having lost in the semi-finals of four events earlier in the season, Allen won the £250,000 top prize at the Riyadh Season Championship just before Christmas, while Si won a Championship League group in Leicester just a few days ago.

It has been another notable few months for Chinese youngster Si who broke into the world’s elite top 16 bracket for the first time. He reached the last four at the Saudi Masters and hit his first 147 in professional competition on his way to making the final of the Wuhan Open - his second career ranking event final appearance.

This will be Allen’s 17th successive Masters outing since his debut in 2009. He claimed the title in 2018 but then suffered five first round exits in-a-row before getting to the last four here 12 months ago.

They have faced each other five times on the pro circuit before (Allen leads 4-1), although two of those were in the one-frame Shoot Out, where Si got his ‘W’ the last time they met a few weeks ago.

Mark Selby v Ali Carter

Three-time Masters champion Mark Selby leads the career head-to-head here, although Carter came out on top during their only previous Masters dance at this stage in 2020 (Carter 6-4).

Interestingly, Carter’s last two appearances at the Masters have seen him make the final (2020, 2024). Last year he led O’Sullivan 6-3 in the title match before losing 10-7. Selby made his Masters bow in 2008 - where he lifted the trophy on debut - and has been back every year since, although somewhat bizarrely he hasn’t reached the semi-finals since 2014.

Both players won ranking titles during the early stages of this season - Carter at the Championship League and Mark Selby at the British Open - although, since then, results have been less impressive. However, despite not getting as many wins as he’d like on the World Snooker Tour, Selby seems to be in very good nick at present and should be classed as a serious contender for this crown once again - a few days before this, he won Group Four at the Championship League.

It is approaching four years since Selby last won a Triple Crown event; could this be the 10th of his glittering career?

Judd Trump v Barry Hawkins

Just weeks after meeting in an epic UK Championship final, two-time Masters champion Judd Trump and two-time Masters runner-up Barry Hawkins clash on a huge stage once again.

These two are no strangers to facing each other at the Alexandra Palace, they have previously played here four times with three of those ties going to a deciding frame and the other being 6-4. It is currently 2-2 on that particular score.

In terms of overall head-to-head outcomes, it is weighted in Trump’s favour. Since Hawkins triumphed at the 2023 European Masters final, Trump has won all five of their most recent meetings.

Trump has enjoyed an incredible season, that has seen him reclaim the world number one ranking. Following glory at the invitational Shanghai Masters, ‘The Ace in the Pack’ won both the Saudi Masters and the UK Championship titles, and is halfway to a ‘Judd Trump Slam’ if he can collect this season’s Masters and World Championship trophies, too.

Mark Williams v Ding Junhui

A very intriguing and keenly-contested encounter is expected here; one of two match-ups featuring former Masters champions sharing the baize.

Ding leads the head-to-head tale of the tape and won their only previous meeting at the Masters. That was a 6-4 win for the Chinese cueist in the opening round in 2011 - the year he went all the way and raised the glass trophy.

However, since his finest Masters moment, Ding - who is the only player in the tournament’s history to have compiled more than one maximum 147 break - has lost first round 9 out of his next 11 appearances. Having not qualified in 2022 and 2023, Ding’s last match win at the Masters came in 2019.

In comparison, Williams was a finalist here two years ago when he narrowly lost to Judd Trump.

Both players have picked up silverware this season; Williams won the Champion of Champions and Ding ended a near five-year wait for another ranking title at the International Championship.

Luca Brecel v Chris Wakelin

Not a great deal to go on in terms of previous professional fixtures between these two; they’ve shared four matches in the past, but none of them were longer than a best of seven and nowhere near the importance of this one coming up.

It’s a similar story for Masters background. This will be Chris Wakelin’s maiden Masters appearance - a richly deserved achievement for one of the snooker circuit’s most improved players over the past two years or so - while Brecel has won one Masters match in four visits to the event (defeating defending champion Mark Allen in round one in 2019).

There is a big difference between their current placements on the one-year, seasonal ranking list - Wakelin is 10th while Brecel is 61st.

Wakelin broke into the world’s elite top 16 for the first time in his career on his way to the International Championship final a few months ago - his third career ranking event final.

2023 World Champion Brecel has ranking concerns come the end of the season, with £500,000 due to drop from his cumulative total. That problem has been slightly alleviated in recent weeks, though, following a run to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Open and a runner-up spot at the invitational Riyadh Season Championship before Christmas.

Could the Belgian finally be rediscovering the sensational form that took him to the world title?

Kyren Wilson v Zhang Anda

2024 was, by far, the best year of Kyren Wilson's professional snooker career. He claimed the sport's ultimate prize at the Crucible, and has been beaming with pride whilst wearing the world crown, collecting two further ranking titles at the Xi'an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open.

2025 has also started very well for him having won a group at the Championship League, so he comes here on a high. The reigning World Champion made his Masters debut in 2017 and has played in the event every year since. 'The Warrior' reached the final in 2018, but has not been back to the semi-finals since.

Zhang Anda made his Masters bow last year, losing 6-2 to Shaun Murphy in his opener. The former International Championship winner has had a steady, if not spectacular, season so far, with quarter-finals finishes at the Wuhan Open and UK Championship. At the latter tournament in York, he compiled a maximum 147 break.

This will be only the fourth time they have played each other in top tier competition (2-1 to Wilson) and by far their biggest encounter to date.

When are the first round matches at the 2025 Masters Snooker at the Alexandra Palace?

Sunday 12th January

• 13:00 - Neil Robertson v John Higgins
• 19:00 - Shaun Murphy v Gary Wilson

Monday 13th January

• 13:00 - Mark Williams v Ding Junhui
• 19:00 - Mark Selby v Ali Carter

Tuesday 14th January

• 13:00 - Judd Trump v Barry Hawkins
• 19:00 - Mark Allen v Si Jiahui

Wednesday 15th January

• 13:00 - Kyren Wilson v Zhang Anda
• 19:00 - Luca Brecel v Chris Wakelin

All start times above are GMT