Masters snooker 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Allen beats Selby in GRUELLING win after Murphy MISSES 147 chance against Robertson

*Luca Brecel 1-1 Chris Wakelin (10-47)

A scratch of the head for Wakelin who misses this pretty simple red to set up a good visit.

His grimace heading back to his chair says it all as he only manages to score seven before that miss.

Will he get a chance to return?

Luca Brecel 1-1 Chris Wakelin* (10-40)

Brecel breaks the reds up even further and now it's a very inviting table with eight reds remaining.

So he looks bitterly disappointed to only put a score of 10 together and hand the very enticing initiative back to Wakelin, who comes to the table with a 30 point lead.

*Luca Brecel 1-1 Chris Wakelin (0-40)

Brecel failed to capitalise on the Wakelin break, instead leaving the newcomer a shot on of his own.

Wakelin takes it and works to a break of 40, breaking the pack of reds in doing so on his final pot on the black.

But he might regret doing that now, missing a red into the left centre pocket. Brecel with the chance to respond.

Luca Brecel 1-1 Chris Wakelin (0-0)

Wakelin to break in frame three.

And he lets out a huge sigh in doing so as he acknowledges it wasn't his finest effort...

Luca Brecel 1-0 Chris Wakelin* (11-15)

Great from Wakelin, who looked to have left himself nothing on an ongoing break of 14.

But he plays the closest red to the cue ball off the bottom side of the red nearest it and sends the object ball into the centre of the pocket.

Great spot and execution and it's now looking a good chance at a score.

*Luca Brecel 1-0 Chris Wakelin (11-0)

Brecel with a break of 11, with the reds gathered awkwardly with none more than a foot from the bottom cushion.

It's tight there and Brecel in leaving a shot on the pink leaves a bit of a tricky angle and the break comes to an end.

But such is the awkwardness, Wakeline misses a red into the right corner pocket to follow.

Phenomenal

On that shot on the brown (pic below) Brecel smashed it in with side to leave himself on the blue.

John Parrott told the BBC: "We've just closed entries for shot of the tournament.

"You will not see a better shot than that, certainly not in this tournament."

Luca Brecel 0-0 Chris Wakelin* (63-47)

Blimey, what a change in the match there.

Two world class shots in a break of 36 to clear down to the pink. The shot on the brown was a highlight of Stephen Hendry's, who told the BBC: "That's one of the best shots I've ever seen!"

He's 16 ahead with just pink and black on the table. Wakelin comes back to attempt a snooker.

*Luca Brecel 0-0 Chris Wakelin (28-47)

Really poor shot from Wakelin using the rest, he's made that pot thousands of times in his career.

That allows Brecel in and he's got a decent chance here with the way the table is looking.

Luca Brecel 0-0 Chris Wakelin* (27-43)

Cagey stuff this. Far from fluent or with much quality to start.

Brecel is stuck behind a brown but it's not a tricky snooker by any means. A bit of spin off the bottom cushion, he misses all four reds available and sends the cue ball into the left middle pocket.

Luca Brecel 0-0 Chris Wakelin* (27-39)

Now it's Wakelin on the wrong side of some misfortune!

He's hit 27 points when trying to get a cluster of three reds on the bottom cushion free. He plays the shot well, sinking a red in the process but sends the cue ball roaring up the table, off the yellow and into the green pocket.

Four points for Brecel who follows with red and pink before playing safe.

Luca Brecel 0-0 Chris Wakelin* (16-12)

Break of eight comes to an end for Wakelin and Brecel is looking to respond with his first pot of the tournament.

He sinks the red and with several reds loose, it's a chance for a decent score of his own.

But on a break of 16, he's hit a really poor positional shot onto the black, nudging the black onto the bottom cushion. Not vintage from either player so far.

Luca Brecel 0-0 Chris Wakelin* (0-4)

How's your luck early doors?

Brecel sinks a long pot from the baulk line, firing a red into the left corner pocket and zipping the cue ball back.

In doing so, the cue ball takes a nick off one of the loose reds and trickles perfectly into the heart of the right middle pocket.

Luca Brecel 0-0 Chris Wakelin

It'll be Chris Wakelin to break and kickstart this evening match.

Past form

How do these two compare in their professional careers?

They haven't met too often but Brecel just has the bragging rights.

• 2017: Brecel 4-1 Wakelin
• 2018: Brecel 2-4 Wakelin
• 2020: Brecel 4-1 Wakelin
• 2022: Brecel 3-0 Wakelin

Here they come

Chris Wakelin is the first into this arena and he sports a broad smile welcomed into this arena by another bouncing Ally Pally crowd.

Luca Brecel with a little grin. He looks typically calm and composed.

Thoughts elsewhere

Chris Wakelin's preparations for his first ever Masters have been far from ideal, with the stresses of a newborn, premature child.

And while he believes getting into the event is a huge step, just being involved isn't his main goal this year.

He told the Metro: "The Masters is one of those things that I didn’t necessarily think was going to happen in my career in the early years.

"10 years of struggling, every match was about tour survival whereas the last 18 months has felt like I’m going in the right direction finally.

"Nothing’s guaranteed in snooker and in life but the way things have gone over the last 18 months, I’m still improving and to get into the Masters, as much as it’s a huge achievement it’s not the epitome of my goals for this season."