World Champion Kyren Wilson won his first match at the Johnstone's Paint Masters for three years, beating tough opponent Zhang Anda by a 6-4 scoreline to reach the quarter-finals.
Results / Tickets / How to Watch
A hard-fought contest was in the balance at 4-4, but China's Zhang crucially missed chances in the last two frames, allowing Wilson to get to the finish line and end a losing streak at Alexandra Palace, having been knocked out in the first round by Stuart Bingham in 2023 and Judd Trump in 2024.
The Crucible king is into the quarter-finals for the fifth time and is aiming for his maiden Masters title, having come close in 2018 when he lost 10-7 in the final to Mark Allen.
"It was a great match to be involved in," said world number two Wilson. "At 4-4 I had to hang in there and stay positive. I was really impressed with Zhang's long potting, he was floating them in from everywhere. Playing as World Champion this season has given me the confidence to see those matches out. I know I have a target on my back this year so I didn't want to go out of this one early again.
"A lot has changed for me since I was in the final here seven years ago. I have gone on to bigger and better things, achieving the dream of becoming World Champion. But there is still a lot of unfinished business."
The opening frame came down to a safety battle on the colours, resolved when Wilson converted a tricky pot on the green to a centre pocket and cleared for 1-0. Zhang levelled with a break of 85, before Wilson regained the lead. In frame four, Zhang led 64-0 when he ran out of position, and his opponent punished him with an excellent 69 clearance for 3-1.
Wilson failed to score a point in the next two as Zhang compiled breaks of 65 and 83 to square the tie at 3-3. A break of 69 from Wilson restored his lead, only for Zhang to respond again with a 141 total clearance, his first Masters century and the new target for the £15,000 high break prize.
In frame nine, Wilson led 52-0 when he missed the blue to a baulk corner, and Zhang had the balls at his mercy but his counter ended on 26 when he failed to pot the black off its spot. And Zhang had another clear opportunity in the tenth, only to miss a red to top corner when he led 15-13. The frame came down to the last three reds, and a superb pot to a centre pocket from Wilson set him up for a match-winning 38.
Kettering's Wilson was wearing a unique waistcoat designed by 12-year-old schoolgirl Serena, the winner of a competition run by Johnstone's Paint, STEM Learning and WST. The project challenged children age 11-14 to design a waistcoat, using a theme connected to the science curriculum and also including Johnstone's Paint colour of the year, Acai Berry. Wilson himself was one of the judging panel and picked the winner from over 20 entries, then met Serena on the eve of the tournament to receive the waistcoat.
He added: "I feel like it was a brave thing to do! It's great for the sport and the sponsors and fantastic for the children who made the designs."
Wilson: There's Unfinished Business