Jack Lisowski won his first ever Masters match with a 6-3 victory over John Higgins on Monday in London.
The 31 year-old was making his fourth appearance at the Alexandra Palace, having lost in the first round in each of his previous three.
But Lisowski produced a strong display to see off the Scot in what was a repeat of their epic World Championship quarter-final encounter from last season that went the distance.
On this occasion, Jackpot had more control in the outcome with breaks of 100, 93, 88, and 68 sending him through to the last eight.
“It’a a fantastic feeling,” Jack Lisowski told the World Snooker Tour soon after completing the triumph.
“I haven’t got any fond memories of this place, so to win tonight against a legend like John is an amazing feeling – I can’t believe it.”
“I’ve been working really hard, and when you’re playing in that venue in front of that crowd, it’s the reason I started playing snooker when I was a kid.
“It felt like a very special moment to finally break my duck here and get that win tonight.
“The crowd has got so much energy, the ticket sales are great, and there’s always loads of people watching.
“It’s weird – I can’t work it out – but it’s different to everywhere else. It’s like a bit more drama.
“They’re all shouting if you miss, they shout if you pot one. Even when you’re breaking off they start shouting.
“It’s fantastic to play in front of, but it’s very hard for someone like me to block out, because my concentration is not naturally the best. It’s something I’ve been working on.”
Next up for Lisowski is an intriguing clash with another player who secured his first ever win in the tournament this week, Hossein Vafaei.
“We seem to have played quite a few games the last few years at the UK Championship. He’s a great lad, and I think we’ll put on a good game for Thursday.”
Earlier on day two in the English capital city, Ronnie O’Sullivan coasted to a routing 6-1 defeat of Belgium’s Luca Brecel.
The Rocket began to dominate the contest after his opponent failed to capitalise on opportunities in the second and third frames.
Brecel contributed an even ton in the fourth frame, but breaks of 134, 105, 97, and 53 ensured that O’Sullivan’s quest for a record-extending eighth Masters crown continued.
On Tuesday, there’s more first-round action with UK champion Mark Allen first up in the afternoon against Barry Hawkins – last year’s runner-up in this competition.
Later in the evening session, Mark Williams takes on David Gilbert, who was a late replacement for the suspended Yan Bingtao.
Masters Snooker Draw
Last 16
Shaun Murphy 6-4 Neil Robertson
Kyren Wilson vs Stuart Bingahm (Wed, 7pm)
Mark Allen vs Barry Hawkins (Tues, 1pm)
Judd Trump vs Ryan Day (Wed, 1pm)
Hossein Vafaei 6-2 Mark Selby
Jack Lisowski 6-3 John Higgins
Mark Williams vs David Gilbert (Tues, 7pm)
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-1 Luca Brecel
Live coverage continues on the BBC, Eurosport, and various other broadcasting services around the world.
Featured photo credit: WST
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