The Masters recap - Jack Lisowski claims historic win over John Higgins, Ronnie O'Sullivan cruises past Luca Brecel
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ByEurosport
Updated 09/01/2023 at 22:07 GMT
The first day of the 2023 Masters certainly lived up to the billing with current champion Neil Robertson losing the opening match before Hossein Vafaei stunned Mark Selby on his tournament debut. We're sure that Day 2 will also be one to remember with Ronnie O'Sullivan kicking things off in the afternoon game against Luca Brecel. Then in the late match John Higgins plays Jack Lisowski.
Watch in full: O’Sullivan’s 134 total clearance against Brecel
Righto, that's us done for tonight
See you tomorrow at 12.45pm GMT for Allen v Hawkins and Williams v Golbert.
Jack speaks
He's so happy to have won that match, and thanks for the crowd for lifting him. He started playing for occasions such as this and says it's taken him nine or 10 years as a pro to get to here, but he's finally playing to his standard in big tournaments.
Jack Lisowski beats John Higgins 6-3!
And he seals his first Masters win with a ton ... until he goes in-off. I don't know if he can win this, but he's surely getting closer to winning something, and a quarter-final against Hossein Vafaei is extremely winnable. I'm buzzing to see him again.
Higgins 3-5 Lisowski (7-63)
The best thing I can say about this break is that, since those few early shots, there's nothing much to say about it - because Jack is eaerning the right to play easy shots with his cue-bacll control.
Higgins 3-5 Lisowski (7-35)
Jack runs out of a position so needs a cut-back broon to the yellow pocket to keep things moving ... and he plays it well. A good red backs it up, earns prime position, and this looks increasingly over.
Higgins 3-5 Lisowski (7-11)
Jack hammers an ambitious red to left corner, misses, sends balls all over ... and gets away with it! This game! So John tries to send one long to the green pocket - I'm not sure that was wise - and leaves a proper chance for Jack to clinch f&m.
Higgins 3-5 Lisowski (7-11)
Jack takes on a starter to left corner and in it wobbles. But with the pack tightly clustered, he can only manage two reds before it's end of break. And it's John in next, a steady one to right corner setting him away. A poor blue puts him in a bit of bother ... and he's not playing well enough to reverse the situation, playing for the pink, landing himself in the pack, and forced to play safe.
Higgins 3-5 Lisowski
John is back in with a sniff - but only a sniff, mind.
Higgins 2-5 Lisowski (69-31)
A foul from Jack brings John back to the table; barring snookers, the frame is now over.
Higgins 2-5 Lisowski (65-31)
I'm not sure Jack would've been capable of this performance on this stage a couple of years ago. But he's really getting there now, finding the steel to supplement his skill ... and of course, as I type that, he misses a red he shouldn't to left corner, undercutting it and catching the near jaw. John breathes again...
Higgins 2-5 Lisowski (65-12)
Down it goes, then a difficult black - chipped in from over the brown - which takes the white into what remains of the cluster and develops all those that remain.Sat in his seat, John fears curtains.
Higgins 2-5 Lisowski (65-0)
John is playing like someone who wants a maxi now, screwing up off blacks to remove balls near the pink spot. There are still a few closer together than he'd like, but he's alright shape ... until he runs out of position a little. In co-comms, Dom thinks he's putting frame first ... but John plays for a difficult black he can't afford to miss, a steep cut to right corner ... and he does miss it! Can Jack punish him? If he can roll a starter to the green pocket, he just might...
Higgins 2-5 Lisowski (25-0)
With the red available the only one he can leave, John, under the pump, goes at a long one to left corner and does so beautifully. The black goes to both corners, he screws off it and breaks the pack from underneath, and there are loads of points out there - perhaps even 147 of the blighters.
Higgins 2-5 Lisowski
That will hurt John a lot. He needs four straight to win from here, and nothing we've seen so far tonight suggests he's got that in him.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski (55-40)
And it's John whose falters first: he leaves a red to middle, and Jack should synch the steal from here.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski (55-39)
A red to left corner allows Jack to develop a red that was too near the side rail. But it's still tricky to get onto the last one, never mind pot the yellow and brown in a few shots' time. In the event, he can't get onto his next ball off the blue, but he does bring the aforementioned other two into play and this frame is on a rolling boil now, great safety following great safety following great safety.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski (55-20)
But he cant! A missed red invites Jack back to a table that no longer looks quite so complex. If he can pull off the snaffle, he'll be very close to the line, given how much it'll hurt John.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski (42-0)
John escapes the snooker but leaves a starter - a cut to left corner - and Jack jawses it! John will roll it home and should win the frame from here.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski (42-0)
John runs out of position so has to cut a pink to right-middle ... he does it well ... but it doesn't yield position. End of break, with a more-than-useful lead of 42. There are still reds in difficult positions while yellow and brown are on the bottom rail ... and jack only lands the white behind them! Trouble for John.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski (28-0)
Very quickly, John gets in among the reds, liberating the pink in the process. There's a lot of work to be done because lots of balls are stuck or close to lots of other balls, but he's moving the white around nicely now.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski (7-0)
Without much on in the way of safety, Jack takes on a long one to right corner, misses ... then John strokes the white a long way to left corner, setting himself away.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski
Jack tries a long, narrow floater to right corner, misses it and leaves the white up the table ... but with nothing on for John.
Higgins 2-4 Lisowski
A run of 100 means we've had at least two tons in every match in the tournament so far and puts Jack back in command of this match. John daren't lose the next frame.
Higgins 2-3 Lisowski (20-43)
Jack works his way over tto he black and sinking it makes him a steaming-hot favourite for the frame.
Higgins 2-3 Lisowski (20-1)
The unforgiving middle pockets strike again! John misses a red to the left version and this is scrappy again, like frame one. But this latest error has doled out a proper chance, and there are loads of points out there for Jack, though pink and black are tied up.
Higgins 2-3 Lisowski (15-1)
Or not! A red that's too straight means a tight pink to middle ... and it's missed. Jack, though, also misses and by a distance, a red with the rest to the green pocket not even hitting the knuckle. Here goes John again.
Higgins 2-3 Lisowski (1-1)
Jack sends a long red to left corner and, on nothing, he accepts reality to find a decent safety. John, though, responds well enough, and when Jack catches his next shot far too thick, he retreats to his seat knowing his may be occupying it for some time.
Higgins 2-3 Lisowski
Yup, a swift 79 and Higgins is back to within a frame. That missed red will haunt the nightmares of Jack's grandchildren if he loses tonight.
Higgins 1-3 Lisowski (56-3)
In the entire history of the game, there's arguably been no one better at punishing errors than John, and Jack will need to put that miss out of his mind because if he doesn't John will smell then devour his trepidation.
Higgins 1-3 Lisowski (9-3)
John badly needs this one, but he leaves a long starter that Jack spanks to right corner ... only to find himself back at the table two shots later, following a badly overcut red. He takes the easy opener, holding for the black, and already this looks a decent opportunity.
We go again...
Higgins 1-3 Lisowski
A run of 98 ends a riveting first mini-sesh, and Jack is in a very good spot. If he maintains his level, I can't see John troubling him - but playing that well at the start of a match is very different from playing that well with the finish-line in sight. Join me again in 15 to see what happens next.
Higgins 1-2 Lisowski (0-64)
A black to left corner secures the frame, and it cannot go unnoted that Jack, unrenowned for his alacrity under pressure, absolutely nailed the crucial ball in this frame.
Higgins 1-2 Lisowski (0-34)
Oh, John! He leaves one, Jack drains it ... and powers in a black he could've played gently, the resultant white-ball action meaning end of break. No matter: an error from John allows Jack another chance and like in frame two, lacking position forces him to keep playing difficult shots. But have a look! On nothing easy and with a red in baulk, he has no choice but to take a yellow from centre-baulk to its own pocket ... and he strokes it home beautifully, ! The frame is now at his mercy.
Higgins 1-2 Lisowski
Welcome to the match John Higgins! A total clearance of 142 sets a decent highest-break target, and he'll be feeling much better about life than he did five minutes ago.
Higgins 0-2 Lisowski (52-0)
John gets too straight on a red to take a fifth black, sliding in a blue and nudging the pack instead. The ensuing split freights every subsequent shot with extra pressure because any miss and the world is left on, but John is steadily building his break.
Higgins 0-2 Lisowski (16-0)
John badly needs this frame and he gets in quickly; can he find his rhythm?
Higgins 0-2 Lisowski
A fine run of 68 - Jack did really well to keep it going early doors - gives him 2-0, and John is really struggling.
Higgins 0-1 Lisowski (5-65)
The former, just about. Though still not in prime position, Jack's cueing nicely now, depositing nasty balls with minimum fuss. A plant then opens up those which are left, and this is going to be 2-0.
Higgins 0-1 Lisowski (5-32)
Another disappointing visit, Jack playing a poor positional shot off the black that means he has to play safe; John responds with a really poor safety, white catching the jaws of left corner and staying up the top end. So Jack gets away with a cut-back, then has to play a really good green and a really good blue, chasing position; can he get to where he wants to be or will it catch up with him?
Higgins 0-1 Lisowski (5-5)
John sees away a long red, then takes on a blue to the yellow pocket though there doesn't appear to be a ball for him should it drop - which it doesn't, and a decent safety from Jack sticks him on the baulk cushion. There's no immediate yield because next shot, Jack goes in-off, but when he's left a tempter he drains it unerringly in right corner and he's away.
Higgins 0-1 Lisowski
Yup, Jack hits the front - but both men can play much better than they did in that frame.
Higgins 0-0 Lisowski (40-48)
Gosh, if the rest of the match is like this opener, we'll be here till morning. Jack misses a cut-back black by a way, then John does likewise with one down the side rail, by way of rest. Surely Jack will now clean up from here?
Higgins 0-0 Lisowski (34-39)
Not for long. An error from John leaves a nasty one to left-centre that Jack sees away well, and he really ought to clinch the frame from here, though the reds aren't ideally located.
Higgins 0-0 Lisowski (34-28)
This is getting scrappy now. Never in complete control of the break, Jack jawses a cut to right corner, John drains it ... and sees the white stop close to the side rail. So he drops in the black, sends the next ball long to the yellow pocket ... and it doesn't drop, so we're back playing safety.
Higgins 0-0 Lisowski (26-14)
My fear was unfounded. John gets no action on a screw-back which means end of break, then Jack guides a fine pot to right-middle and this is a really good chance for him to get his arm going while taking the lead.
Higgins 0-0 Lisowski (10-0)
Jack begins by fluking a red via plant then cannon - the crowd enjoy that - then he somehow screw back off a simple green, into left-middle. John, though, quickly gets in and out, missing a red to right corner with the rest ... then Jack misses it too, badly, and I fear that'll cost him.
And away we go
The winner will play Hossein Vafaei in the last eight.
The boyz, baized
Jack, on the other hand
Remains the best player not to win a ranking event - essentially, he's snooker's Michael Smith. And like Bully Boy, it will come for him at some point - he's in the form of his life and still improving. I can't wait for him to make it happen.
John Higgins
This is the 29th year in a row he's played this competition - though in typical style, he chastises himself for having won it just twice. He's not actually brought home a triple crown even since winning the worlds in 2011 and I'd not be shocked if he didn't manage any more. But what a player.
Evening all!
We go again...
That's the afternoon sesh done
Join me again at 6.45pm GMT for Lisowski v Higgins!
Ronnie speaks
He felt Luca wasn't quite there, and says that though he's not as good as he once was, he's still quite good. Asked if he felt a buzz walking out, he jokes that he didn't, then says it's not that he doesn't care it's that he doesn't want to feel defined or disappointed by snooker, though he loves the game and loves competing. He is very very special.
Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Luca Brecel 6-1!
Luca had chances before the interval, but he had nothing after it when Ronnie turned it up. He plays Williams or Gilbert next.
O'Sullivan 5-1 Brecel (61-14)
Ronnie slots home a starter, mid-distance to left corner, and this looks like the end. But he misses the next red, meaning Luca returns to the table needing a snooker (and all the balls) to tie.
O'Sullivan 5-1 Brecel (54-14)
Oh! 41 in front with 59 left, Ronnie gets another kick and misses one to right-middle! Except Luca, who already has aggro with two reds on the top cushion, knocks the black safe in the process of getting away, and he soon misses a brown; he looks pretty bedraggled now, and not uneager to get out there.
O'Sullivan 5-1 Brecel (46-13)
Luca is a much better player than he was this time last year, but he still needs to find a better B-game. His top level is excellent, but it's rare anyone hits that, and when the pots aren't rocketing in he's no chance of doing anything against the elite of the elite. Ronnie is almost there.
O'Sullivan 5-1 Brecel (2-13)
Oh Luca. He takes on a red, misses it, and Ronnie punishes it into the green pocket with no little prejudice. But the yellow will take some potting, needing cutting across the width of the table ... and it wobbles in the jaws then pops out. Then, after his next shot, he leaves a red that can be chipped into left corner - it is - but Luca misses another early in his run. No matter: he wallops in a fine starter ... only to miss a brown to right-middle unloading the suitcase at it. He'll now be fearing the end.
O'Sullivan 5-1 Brecel
No total clearance this time, pathetic. But a mere, trifling, piddling 104 takes Ronnie to within a frame of the last eight.
O'Sullivan 4-1 Brecel (60-11)
Unusually, Ronnie loses control of the white; a gentle roll to right corner and he's back in prime position. Then, a superb shot - blue driven home as white goes around the angles and off three cushions - leaves everything available, and there's been a significant improvement from TMNTPETPUAC since the interval. He'll soon be four up with five to play.
O'Sullivan 4-1 Brecel (19-11)
Damien Hirst is in watching Ronnie this afternoon; game recognise game and art recognise art. But that might not go on for much longer because Luca takes on a red to left-centre, misses and leaves one to the yellow pocket; Ronnie duly removes it and, within a few shots, has crafted a pretty decent chance.
O'Sullivan 4-1 Brecel (0-11)
Ronnie misses a longun to left corner then so does Luca - by a distance - only to tap in a different ball to left-middle! Goodness me he needed that - but can he capitalise? Er no, he misses a red and we're back playing safety.
O'Sullivan 4-1 Brecel
Yup, one barely loose break, a total clearance of 134, and Luca's mini-revival is boxed. That's Ronnie's 81st Masters ton; next on the list is Stephen Hendry, who won the competition the first five times he played it; he has 46. Or, put another way, Ronnie is an absolute joke, the freak of nature's freak of nature.
O'Sullivan 3-1 Brecel (65-0)
Ronnie splits again, it looks like he's on nowt ... but no, the ball and the bottom of the cluster passes, and this is going to be 4-1.
O'Sullivan 3-1 Brecel (44-0)
The first half of the session wasn't of the greatest standard these two can conjure but it was a lot of fun. I fear we don't see similar this side of the interval, though, because Ronnie is just looking too purposeful - and his split goes well.
O'Sullivan 3-1 Brecel (20-0)
Luca needs to start well here, but it's Ronnie who eliminates the first ball - thanks to a fine long effort off the break. And, with the black available to both corners, starts accumulating. The pack will soon need breaking, though, and how that goes could well determine the destination of this frame - or at least, whether it disappears in one visit.
We go again!
O'Sullivan 3-1 Brecel
One hundred exactly, and Luca goes to the interval still in the match. He knows if he plays well in the next session he's a chance, but that if Ronnie improves, he's got a problem. See you in 15.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Brecel (0-82)
Well done Luca! He rushes through a run that effectively keeps him in the tournament and the ton is there for the taking.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Brecel (0-42)
The good news for Luca is that 3-0 flatters Ronnie; the bad news for Luca is also that 3-0 flatters Ronnie. But he gets in first, missing a long red before hammering in two for the second time in the match. He knows that should he be 4-0 behind at the interval he's done for, whereas 3-1 gives him a snifter; or, in other, words, he's under pressure out there ... but accumulating nicely.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Brecel
Luca will be feeling very, very poorly. THIS GAME!
O'Sullivan 2-0 Brecel (53-56)
Left the yellow, Ronnie has to find a way of getting onto the green, currently near the side rail; he winds up taking the white into left corner. Can Luca capitalise? Yes he can! He eases yellow to left-middle, then spanks a tremendous cut-back green, with the rest, down the side and into left corner. What a pot that is! But he'll need the pink, which is tough, and oh no! He pots the blue only to go in-off! What an oversight that is! So out it comes, and Ronnie is surely going to steal again!
O'Sullivan 2-0 Brecel (48-43)
But the green is safe and the final red needs to be sent hard and long to the yellow pocket; Ronnie gets nowhere near it, but when Luca sends it down, he cannons the brown and goes in-off! He is not feeling this match, at all; that's a dreadful error.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Brecel (37-43)
Oh Luca! He misses a pretty simple red along the top cushion and leaves it for Ronnie who quickly sends it home. The three remaining reds are not far from the side cushion, but there's room to manoeuvre around them and no one better at doing that - with ease.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Brecel (22-8)
Ronnie splits the pack off the blue sending reds everywhere ... then gets a colossal kick playing a pot of about a foot to left corner. That's a huge stroke of luck for Luca, who drives the white to nick a cut-back, sending a different red into the green pocket in the process. On nowt, though, he has to lay a snooker behind the yellow ... out of which Ronnie can't see a way. So he plays a hit-and-hope which doesn't work out, and Luca absolutely must make this chance count.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Brecel (16-0)
Except Luca's first go at it leaves one, promptly drained to left corner, the black follows, and Luca is in big, big trouble.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Brecel (8-0)
Oh that's glorious! Left on the top cushion, Ronnie fondles a starter to left-middle then sinks the black ... but the table gives him so much action he winds up on nowt, so it's back down the table and some safety play.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Brecel
Of course he can. That is going to sting Luca, who must, you'd think, win both of the next two to have a serious shot at winning this. Good luck, old mate.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (47-57)
Luca leaves the blue long to right corner and Ronnie deposits it therein, but he'll need to playa good pink to get position on the black; can he slip in behind it then send it parallel with the top rail and into the same bag?
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (42-57)
"Oh goodness me, that's a terrible shot," sighs Nealf when Luca, after playing a lovely cannon to develop the brown, catches the black after potting it. He then misses the blue to the green pocket and this frame remains in the balance.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (42-53)
The snooker Luca played instead of potting the red gives him a go at it and he drains it well; that shot, and those which can now follow, should see him home in the frame.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (42-45)
As I type that, he tries his best to miss a delicate red to left-middle - eventually, it drops - and he should sort it out from here ... though again, as I type one thing another happens, Luca blocking his route to the final red when the pink he's just potted is replaced.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (42-30)
Good work from Luca, who closes the gap and, if we're being real, has easy enough balls to sneak this frame. If he can't, we may be in for a swift afternoon.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (42-7)
Luca who, I forgot to note, came out to play in a tie and shirt with the top button undone; well now, he's complaining to the ref that it's bothering him, presumably hoping for permission to remove it. None is forthcoming, but he plays a decent safety and when Ronnie overcuts one to left-middle he's a chance, sending a decent starter into right corner. This is a pretty decent chance.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (42-0)
Nuzzling the cluster from underneath, Ronnie lands on nowt so has to play safe, a decent lead of 42 in his skyrocket. He leaves Luca tight to the top rail and, with a few loose reds about, I doubt the next break is far away.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel (20-0)
Luca dangles a starter off the break and Ronnie guides it home to right corner, then gets to work. The pack is largely unbroken so there's work to do, but no one better at seeing it away.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Brecel
On 97, Ronnie misses an acute cut to left-middle, but he's in front and Luca knows, as he did before it happened, that mistakes will be ruthlessly punished.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Brecel (50-4)
Very quickly, Ronnie converts available points into a frame-winning opportunity, and he looks in lovely touch.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Brecel (17-4)
It's not hard to note that Ronnie's last tournament win was the Champion of Champions, an invitational competition with a one-table situation all the way through; circumstances this week work well for him, but I don't think he's playing quite as well now as then. I say that but it can soon change, and after a foul, Ronnie sinks a decent long red to left corner then lays a snooker behind the brown; trying a two-cushion escape, Luca misses his target, catching the blue - twice - then leaves one. The balls aren't great, but there are still points there for the taking.
And away we go!
Luca's walk-in
Was this! Lovely stuff for those of us of a certain age.
The baize is boyzed
Luca speaks
He enjoyed practising on the main table in front of a crowd and needed a few minutes to settle down and feel his arm. He's not bothered to be playing Ronnie, it's just another game, and he's got his mates over from Belgium so hopes he plays well. He didn't put in much work over Christmas because it's a long four months until the Worlds with ten tournaments, so he's just trying to get to another final and would prefer it to be in the Grand Prix, which is next week, because of the ranking points. Ultimately, even if he loses he just hopes he plays well.
Ronnie speaks
In typically contrarian fashion he says this is "just another tournament", and though he says he did allow himself a "this is alright" moment after winning this title for a record seventh time, what he's really interested in is enjoying his life, being happy and keeping fit. To achieve that, a person needs to put themselves first, which he now does, then goes on to say that Luca is the most talented player on the circuit and it's a matter of time before he starts winning the big pots.
After a great start to the competition yesterday
We've got two extremely appealing tussles today. We start with Ronnie O'Sullivan v Luca Brecel then, this evening, dive into Jack Lisowski v John Higgins. It's not a bad old life.
Afternoon all!
And welcome to day two of the 2023 Masters!
Hossein Vafaei claims Mark Selby scalp on Masters debut
Hossein Vafaei marked his Masters debut with an impressive 6-2 victory over three-time champion Mark Selby.
The Iranian was only promoted into the draw at the eleventh hour as a replacement for Zhao Xintong, who was suspended as part of the match-fixing investigation that has rocked the sport.
Selby was a tad fortunate to head into the interval level at 2-2 after some laborious opening frames – but just as a late-night finish beckoned at Alexandra Palace, Vafaei stirred into life as his aggressive shot-making paid dividends as he reeled off four frames on the bounce.
Read the full report here.
The Masters schedule Monday January 9
13:00
- Ronnie O'Sullivan v Luca Brecel
19:00
- John Higgins v Jack Lisowski
To celebrate the 2023 Masters, we have launched our new snooker bracket game, where you can give your predictions, challenge friends and create mini-leagues
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