Day one of the 2026 Masters delivered a double jolt as defending champion Shaun Murphy and reigning UK Championship winner Mark Selby were both undone by tournament debutants.
Wu Yize defeated Murphy, and Xiao Guodong overwhelmed Selby in a day that cast two triple crown winners as mere apprentices under the spotlight of the fearless Masters newcomers.
The results also throw the top half of the draw wide open, and guarantees a semi-finalist from mainland China, in a year that sees a record five Chinese participants in the tournament.
Yize Wu’s the crowd in dethroning of listless Murphy
Wu Yize 6 – 2 Shaun Murphy (best of 11 frames)
Coming into the tournament as defending champion, and fresh from reaching the semi-finals of last month’s UK Championship, few would have expected Murphy to fall to tournament debutant Wu Yize. But the 22-year-old from China had other ideas, racing into a 3-0 lead in no time at all, underlined by a scintillating 137 clearance in the second frame.
Although the defending champion took the next frame to go into the session interval two behind, he was unable to gain any momentum, losing the fifth frame on a black ball finish as he gave up his title defence in the meekest of manner.
Speaking to the BBC after the match, Murphy was typically fair in his assessment of the match.
“I’ve been looking forward to today for a year, walking out as champion, but I enjoyed the first 10 minutes,” said Murphy. “I didn’t play well, certainly the worst performance of my season, maybe the worst in the Masters.”
“Wu looked calm, looked at ease and fully deserved his win. He will be a handful for anyone he plays.”
The opening match of this year’s #Masters#Snooker has sprung a surprise: Wu Yize, 22, in his first Masters appearance, has just beaten the defending champion, 43-year-old Shaun Murphy, 6-2. Afterwards, Murphy said, very sportingly, “Imagine being that young & that good.” 👏 pic.twitter.com/fvRGPa7pAb
Former three-time Masters champion Mark Selby entered this year’s tournament as one of the favourites, fresh off his third UK Championship title just a month ago.
But Guodong turned the ten-time Triple Crown winner into a spectator as he rattled off breaks of 95, 62, 76 and 77 to race 4-0 ahead in his first-ever appearance at the prestigious invitational.
After the interval, Selby pulled two frames back, but Guodong was unshaken, responding with wins in the next two frames – including a sharp 118 – to take the match and set up a quarter-final against his compatriot Yize.
𝗫𝗜𝗔𝗢 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗡𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗕𝗬 👀
Xiao Guodong enjoys a debut to remember, beating the in-form Mark Selby 6-2 as another big name falls on day one! 🇨🇳 #TheMasterspic.twitter.com/lgwNbdnhcE
