By Elliott West
Introduction
The day has finally arrived for adoring snooker when their cathedral of praise becomes Alexandra Palace for a week. One of the three jewels of the Triple Crown tournaments, the Masters started its pinnacle journey way back in 1975 and is now a title that every top 16 player dreams of getting their hands on. A trophy that both Cliff Thorburn and the late Paul Hunter have each raised on three occasions with Ronnie O’Sullivan winning the most titles at seven, closely followed by Stephen Hendry with six titles. A tournament has produced some of the greatest moments in snooker history.
In this year’s event, ten of the sixteen players have been Masters’ champions before, and every first-round match features a world champion. Zhao Xintong enters this esteemed list of players this year after sensationally winning the UK Championship just before Christmas and will join a race that can be likened to being the Grand National of snooker.
The Snooker Field
Anyone who buys a ticket for the Masters or watches the numerous matches from the comfort of their home is guaranteed a Rolls Royce experience. Only the cream of the snooker elite gets the chance to participate in this tournament that takes place at Alexandra Palace. A building that boasts a backdrop of stunning views of Central and North London. It is a tournament that one by one the top 16 will gradually be whittled down to one champion.
This year, it would be easy to make a prediction that the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan or Mark Selby will lift the title this year but snooker is never that clear cut and if it was the bookmakers’ coffers would be empty. Few pundits like to stick their necks out and pin a winner’s notice on any particular player before the tournament commences but it is always the most asked question on the first Sunday of play.
Judd Trump is a name that is always mentioned early on but he will have to put to bed his stuttering run on the back of a glorious blaze of titles that preceded it. He faces stiff competition with a hungry and rejuvenated Ronnie O’Sullivan hot on his tail after winning the last tournament of 2021, the World Grand Prix.
Yan Bingtao, last year’s Masters’ winner faces Mark Williams in his opening match and will have to play very well against this astute Welsh snooker icon. Struck down by Covid last year and bouts of gout, Williams may seem like an easy scalp for this Chinese player but mark my words, Williams can always produce a rabbit out of the hat when it is required and blow hot or cold on the day like his opponent.
There isn’t a single easy match in this field and it is especially hard to predict winners in these matches, especially as we have just experienced a Christmas break and the Championship League is the only event that has been played so far this year. I do believe the likes of Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins and Stephen Maguire will struggle to cross the line in their matches but Mark Allen, Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson and a very dangerous Anthony McGill all have their chances. Don’t count out Stuart Bingham either.
Probably two of the most dangerous candidates are John Higgins and Jack Lisowski. Both want titles with John Higgins having reached a string of finals in recent months with no silverware and Jack always coming close to a title but never quite getting over the line. This is their time to shine and what a moment it would be if they could! One a seasoned victor and the other an aspiring champion that has all the game of his good friend Judd Trump but slightly less polished.
Afterthought
In what is a minefield of snooker play, the Masters is unpredictable but guaranteed to produce drama and explosive snooker. It may be cold outside in January but the heat will definitely be turned up to gas mark 5 in this race to produce a king amongst the top 16. This event is so special because it is just the best that play. You get your key to the palace doors on merit and no one, win or lose can take that away from you.
This is the junior version of a Crucible marathon and will put the overall champion through a series of gruelling tests but mark my words, the champion will be the best of the field in the end and will have played out of their skin to raise this now Waterford Crystal trophy. Any Masters champion is a master of their craft and will be remembered for many years to come for being the player that cracked the tournament’s conundrum.
