The draw for the 2015 Masters invitation tournament at the Alexandra Palace was made today during the mid-session interval of the UK Championship final between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump.
The ‘Rocket’ leads his fellow Englishman 3-1 early doors in the best-of-19 frame final but focus will soon turn to London, where the 39 year-old emerged victorious last year for his fifth triumph in the prestigious event.
As ever, with only the elite top 16 taking part, the first round draw threw up some potential humdingers – with the encounter between Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy particularly eye-catching.
Trump and Mark Allen must await their official seeding upon the conclusion of today’s final at the Barbican Centre.
The Masters starts on January 11th.
Here’s the last 16 line-up:
Mark Allen/ Judd Trump vs John Higgins
Stuart Bingham vs Marco Fu
Mark Allen/Judd Trump vs Stephen Maguire
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ricky Walden
Neil Robertson vs Robert Milkins
Mark Selby vs Shaun Murphy
Barry Hawkins vs Ali Carter
Ding Junhui vs Joe Perry
