Masters Snooker 2026: Schedule and Draw Following Wilson's Semifinal Berth

The 2026 Masters snooker tournament is underway at Alexandra Palace from January 11-18, with the defending champion Shaun Murphy eliminated and John Higgins set to face Kyren Wilson in the championship match. Murphy's title defense was cut short in the first round with a 6-2 loss to China's Wu Yize. Meanwhile, Ronnie O'Sullivan, an eight-time record champion, will not participate for the second consecutive year due to health reasons. Chris Wakelin replaced O'Sullivan in the draw but was defeated 6-2 by Neil Robertson, resulting in all first-round matches ending with the same score. The tournament features the top 16 ranked players, with all matches being best of 11 frames except for the final, which is best of 19 frames. The field was determined by the rankings following December's UK Championship, won by Mark Selby. Notably, Chris Wakelin was ranked 17th at the cutoff point, just missing the initial selection.