Hi Stuart. Would be nice to have a close game today after four 6-2s in a row!

Not this time. Ten reds, ten blacks but the 11th red stays out. Wilson knew he'd missed it the second he hit it and the maximum attempt comes to a grinding halt.

Still, a break of 80 and a one-visit frame win and he's two up.

Ten reds, ten blacks. Frame won already, 80 on the board for Kyren Wilson. Can he get the first maximum of this year's Masters?

Eight reds, eight blacks.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

This is a great chance for a maximum. Of course, the first consideration is winning the frame.

We are up to six reds and six blacks in this break from Kyren Wilson.

A loose attempt to get out of a snooker from Si Jiahui leaves a red on for Kyren Wilson and the 2024 world champion adds a break of 38 to get up and running at the Masters by taking the opener.

Before the match started Kyren Wilson spoke to the BBC and said his cue issues that ruined his UK Championship at the end of November have been sorted.

"York was a culmination of a few things," said Wilson. "I had to pick up the cue on the last minute, on the day of the game, put a ferrule on, put a tip on and you've just got no chance in a tournament like that.

"I had a bit of a hissy fit at the end of that game. I'm over that now and I've got a cue that I've been playing with since the Scottish Open so almost a month now and I'm very happy with it so no excuses from me today.

"It doesn't just affect your life on the table, it affects your life off the table as you can't relax at home and spend time with the family because you are out searching. This game is difficult at the best of times and you need to go out there with a clear mind and not questioning your equipment. When you can't do that you just sink."

Image source, BBC Sport

Kyren Wilson has won six of the seven matches he has played against Si Jiahui. At the moment, Si leads 25-20 in the opening frame.

Former world champion Kyren Wilson will be hoping his time at the Masters will be a lot better than his last Triple Crown experience when a damaged cue massively affected his play during his 6-4 defeat by Elliot Slessor in the last 32 of the UK Championship.

The Englishman was still searching for a suitable cue hours before the match and cut a dejected figure throughout, especially after missing a pink in the opening frame at York Barbican.

"I'm just very lost at the minute," said world number two Wilson, who was in tears at the post-match news conference. "You were very close to seeing someone have a mental breakdown out there.

"I gave it my all, but I wanted the world to swallow me up as soon as I missed the pink in the first frame. It's been a nightmare.

"I just had to sit there and suffer and try my best. I battled - I gave it my all - but I just knew I couldn't win."

Winner: £350,000

Runner-up: £140,000

Semi-finals: £75,000

Quarter-finals: £40,000

Last 16: £25,000

High break: £15,000

Image source, Getty Images

Very bizarrely, all four matches that have been played so far have ended 6-2, with a former world champion losing in each of the opening three matches.

Zhao Xintong ended that run last night by beating Gary Wilson, with the margin, of course, being 6-2.

Results

First Round

Shaun Murphy 2-6 Wu Yize

Mark Selby 2-6 Xiao Guodong

Mark Williams 2-6 Mark Allen

Zhao Xintong 6-2 Gary Wilson

Best of 11 frames

Tuesday 13 January

13:00 GMT – Kyren Wilson v Si Jiahui

19:00 GMT – John Higgins v Barry Hawkins

Live coverage

13:00-17:15 - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app

19:00-22:00 - BBC Four, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app

Hello and welcome to day three of the 2026 Masters.

What a tournament it has been for China with three men through into the quarter-finals and another one, Si Jiahui, is aiming to join them this afternoon.

Former world champion Kyren Wilson stands in his way.