Masters snooker 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Shaun Murphy BEATS Kyren Wilson in dramatic final to land huge £350k payday – updates
SHAUN MURPHY took home the biggest prize of his career to win the Masters on Sunday night at Ally Pally.
Murphy overcame world champ Kyren Wilson to become Masters champion for the second time in his career.
The Magician raced into a 6-2 lead in the afternoon session, but The Warrior fought back in the evening to make the showpiece match 8-7 after 15 frames.
But Murphy held firm despite Wilson’s heart to secure a 10-7 win and the biggest payday of his illustrious career (£350,000).
Earlier in the tournament, The Magician hit a stunning 147 during his semi-final triumph over Mark Allen.
- Final result: Kyren Wilson 7-10 Shaun Murphy
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Frame 1 - Williams vs Ding Junhui
We have a re-rack!
Safeties galore to start the opening frame, with both players eventually deciding enough is enough.
Frame 1, take two. Ding to break.
Frame 1 - Williams vs Ding Junhui
We're underway at Ally Pally.
Stephen Hendry on Williams: "He's an absolute freak of nature.
"He barely picks up a cue between tournaments, but when he's here you can't get him off the table."
He'll have to be on his game to beat Ding today, who holds a 10-6 record in the head-to-head.
Afternoon session
Here we go then, just minutes away from action at Alexandra Palace.
A lucky few thousand packed into this iconic arena - and if the matches are half as good as yesterday, they're in for a treat.
Williams and Ding ready to make their entrance any minute now.
Best of 11 frames for a place in the quarter-finals. Let's go.
Credit: Alamy
Next up - Mark Williams vs Ding Junhui
How about some snooker to light up a dreary, dismal Monday afternoon?
Mark Williams faces Ding Junhui from 1pm, with a place in the Masters quarter-finals up for grabs.
It's the pair's first meeting since December 2023, when Ding won a cracker 6-5 at the UK Championship.
Credit: Getty Will to win
Mark Williams will hope today's contest with Ding Junhui is less dramatic than his appearance in China last week.
The Welshman rocked up to play in the Tianren Cup Lhasa Winter Plateau Snooker Challenge exhibition event.
Held in the city of Lhasa, the tournament venue was 3,656 metres above sea level.
Williams took to social media and revealed he required oxygen in the dressing room.
He wrote: "Oxygen [was] needed at the interval."
Credit: x Ally Pally awaits
Already plenty of buzz around Alexandra Palace following a dramatic Sunday.
With Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson safely through, attention now turns to two more last-16 ties today.
Afternoon session (from 1pm)
- Mark Williams (6) v Ding Junhui (9)
Evening session (from 7pm)
- Mark Selby (4) v Ali Carter (12)
Credit: Getty Rock on
Ronnie O'Sullivan may have dropped out of defending his Masters title this week at Ally Pally.
But the seven-time world champion has indicated he'll be back on the baize soon.
The Rocket is friends with rock icon and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.
Wood appeared on Eurosport's coverage of the Masters and revealed O'Sullivan had been in contact.
He said: "I texted Ronnie and said, ‘Sorry about your cue, mate’.
"He said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be back, I’m just a bit tired at the moment’."
Credit: Reuters Selby - I almost quit
Mark Selby is in action tonight at the Masters, taking on Ali Carter.
But the Jester from Leicester has revealed he almost quit snooker altogether after struggling with his mental health.
Selby said: "Retirement was a genuine consideration for me and unless you’ve been through it yourself, you don’t really know.
"Playing a sport like snooker, with so many highs and lows, that can trigger it.
"I never should have played the Worlds last year. I wasn’t in a good place and if I’m in that position again, I definitely won’t play no matter what tournament it is.
"I have to try and put myself first."
Credit: PA Wil has gone
Gary Wilson cut a dejected figure after this loss to Shaun Murphy.
And fans fear 39-year-old could even quit the game after a downbeat post-match interview.
Wilson said: "I am fed up. I didn't even enjoy that.
"I didn't enjoy playing, I didn't enjoy the atmosphere.
"I enjoyed it in one sense when I was coming back, and the crowd were getting involved, but my game is just shot. I wasn't cueing well."
Credit: Alamy
Shaun on form
Shaun Murphy held off a resurgent Gary Wilson to move through to the quarter-finals after a 6-3 win.
It's ten years since The Magician last won the Masters - but believes he is in the right frame of mind to succeed again.
Murphy told the BBC: "After the interval it did not feel very safe.
"I feel really proud of how I stood up and won that penultimate frame with a century.
"You just want to get through. I have been working on my game and there are little green shoots of improvement, and there were moments I thought I played really well.
" In the end that burst of four frames was probably the difference."
Credit: Alamy Robbo speaks
It was some comeback from Neil Robertson yesterday, as the Aussie stormed back from 1-5 down to beat John Higgins 6-5.
The Thunder from Down Under said: "I don't think John did a lot wrong. I played at my absolute best.
"I'm glad I could take my chance with Ronnie dropping out and give the crowd something to cheer today.
"I don't think many people have seen what I can do. That match shows how well I can play."
Credit: PA 2025 Masters continues at Ally Pally
Some more great match-ups to look forward to today:
1pm
Mark Williams (6) v Ding Junhui (9)
7pm
Mark Selby (4) v Ali Carter (12)
It promises to be another day of enthralling snooker.
Best of the game lock horns
One of the many things fans love with the masters is that it brings the best sixteen players in the game right now into battle.
No having to wait for the tournament to heat up, as this weekend showed us, it is high-octane action from the off.
As for who is going to win it, that is anybody's guess.
It is all about hitting form at the right time to take the Paul Hunter Trophy.
Quarter finals starting to take shape
After today's play, we now know the first quarter-final match-up.
Shaun 'The Magician' Murphy will be playing Neil 'The Thunder from Down Under' Robertson.
After coming back from 5-1 down to win the next five frames without reply to scoop a 6-5 victory, Murphy will be wary of his opponent.
Ronnie will be missed at Masters
Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the 2025 Masters due to illness.
Although there is a wealth of talent on display, any tournament would miss not having 'The Rocket' in it.
It does leave an empty throne for somebody else to fill however.
Credit: PA
Palace proves the perfect king-maker
Everyone is hoping that Alexandra Palace now comes to be the home of snooker in this country.
With close to 2.500 fans viewing just the one match in this tournament, it is a fantastic atmosphere.
The players seem to be enjoying it (apart from Gary Wilson) and so do the fans who are flocking to North London.
Ally Pally will be crowing a masters champion in this tournament and the event organisers will also be hoping that they can take the mantle from The Crucible in the process.
Wilson lays it bare in interview
Speaking with BBC Sport after the match, it did not seem to be a good moment for the Scottish Open two-time champion:
I didn’t enjoy that at all. The crowd, the venue all of it. My game is just shot. I feel like Ding and Hendry where I am just snatching at shots. In another life I just thought, I would love this if I was cueing well. I’m just depressed.
Gary Wilson'The Magician' moves into quarters
Shaun Murphy looked like he was going to dish out a whitewash after the first session in this match.
Heading in four-nil up, it was hard to see a way back into the match for Gary Wilson.
However, winning the first three frames after the restart, Murphy looked worried.
He managed to dig deep and pick up the other two frames to book his place in the next round.
Credit: PA Shaun Murphy beats Gary Wilson 6-3
Shaun Murphy 65-24 Gary Wilson* (Frames: 5-3)
Well, well, well.
Murphy misses a yellow to get himself into trouble and then Wilson rattles a cut pink to burn his chances in this frame.
Shaun Murphy sinks a long red to ensure the frame is his and he is heading into the quarter-finals.
Shaun Murphy 45-15 Gary Wilson* (Frames: 5-3)
The pressure seems to be getting to both players now.
Murphy looked as though he was heading to the quarter-finals but missed a pot with the whole table open.
Huge chance for Wilson to take advantage now.
Shaun Murphy 0-15 Gary Wilson* (Frames: 5-3)
Murphy takes on a tricky pot and gets it all wrong, opening up all of the reds in the process.
After a couple of tricky shots with the rest, Wilson has a real chance to build a frame-winning break here.
He does have the added pressure now though that any miss could be his last in the tournament.
Shaun Murphy* 104-25 Gary Wilson (Frames: 4-3)
A fantastic break of 103 seals the frame for Murphy.
More importantly, he is now just one frame away from victory.
Both players could have won this frame, it could prove so crucial to the eventual outcome.
Credit: PA Shaun Murphy* 76-25 Gary Wilson (Frames: 4-3)
Murphy is taking the bull by the horns now.
A great pot sets him up and he clinches the frame at this visit.
Currently on 75, he is looking to get a century himself now.
Shaun Murphy* 1-25 Gary Wilson (Frames: 4-3)
As they exchange safety shots, Wilson opts to go for a loose red.
Every applauds as he pots it before realising that he is completely snookered on any colour.
He plays a deft shot onto the yellow off the cushion but there is a pot on for Murphy.
