On January 10, 2022, Beijing time, the Snooker Masters entered the second match day, and the new Keying Championship champion Zhao Xintong will appear on this match day against the 46-year-old veteran Higgins. In addition to this, world champion Sean Murphy will also launch a push for the quarter-finals against the experienced Barry Hawkins.
On the first day of the Masters, Mark Williams defeated defending champion Yan Bingtao to win his first quarter-final spot. After the game, Yan Bingtao, who lost the title, showed the style of a general, he was very satisfied with his performance, and even said that it was the best game of the season. Throughout the game, Yan Bingtao made few mistakes and was in excellent offensive form, but Mark Williams was too tough in the second half.
The winning Mark Williams hopes to play Higgins in the next round, but it is not easy for Higgins to reach the quarterfinals because his opponent is Zhao Xintong. After Yan Bingtao was out, the burden on Zhao Xintong's shoulders was heavier, although the opponent in the first round was Higgins, but in the previous British Championships, Zhao Xintong gained self-confidence after reversing Higgins, and then won the British Championship championship. Fighting Higgins again, Zhao Xintong will not be afraid of his opponents on a psychological level.
In addition, Zhao Xintong has made his 2022 debut in the Champions League, and he has won 8 consecutive wins to successfully advance to the championship group. Through the Champions League, we found that Zhao Xintong's competitive state is still very good, and now Zhao Xintong is more calm, it can be said that the British Championship victory has completely transformed Zhao Xintong. Accurate batting is Zhao Xintong's magic weapon for the championship, and I hope he can quickly enter the state and control the rhythm of the game.
The match between Zhao Xintong and Higgins will take place at 21:00 on January 10, and the winner of this match will be in the quarter-final against Mark Williams. The second match of the second matchday was Sean Murphy against Barry Hawkins, and this season, Sean Murphy is in average form and has been questioned for controversial remarks before, and the psychological level is under great pressure. Although the veteran Barry Hawkins is not as competitive as before, he is experienced enough to cope with the big scenes, which should be a match between the two sides, and the key is to watch the impromptu play.
The match between Sean Murphy and Barry Hawkins will take place at 3 a.m. on January 11, and two more world champions will hit the quarterfinals on the second matchday, Higgins and Sean Murphy, but we most hope that Zhao Xintong can withstand the pressure, win the Debut of the Masters, and once again attack the three major champions!