The 2025 Shanghai Masters is at the semi-finals stage as the initial group of 24 contenders has been whittled down to just four in China.
A pair of former champions bid to return to the final in the first semi-final, while the two most recent world champions will do battle in the second last-four clash.
Played across two sessions and over the best of 19 frames, the longer format adds to the sense of prestige at what has become one of the sport’s biggest invitational events.
Let’s take a look at both semi-finals in the 2025 Shanghai Masters.
Mark Selby vs Ali Carter
Mark Selby and Ali Carter both tasted glory in this tournament under its previous guise as a ranking tournament.
The latter emerged with the trophy in his hands way back in 2010 while Selby prevailed a year later and also reached the final in 2016.
It has already been a dramatic week for Carter, who has twice fought his way back from the brink of defeat at 5-2 behind.
The Captain trailed both Mark Williams and Xiao Guodong by the same three-frame margin before mounting a late four-frame burst to pinch victories each time.
Selby, meanwhile, has looked consistently strong and backed up his 6-0 drubbing of Shaun Murphy with a 6-4 defeat of reigning Shanghai Masters champion Judd Trump on Thursday.
The Jester defied a second three-ton display of the week from Trump to prematurely end the world number one’s defence.
Selby and Carter have clashed more than 40 times on the World Snooker Tour with the former boasting the superior head-to-head record.
In fact, the 42 year-old has beaten his fellow Englishman the last five times they’ve crossed paths – including a 6-1 triumph in the first round of the Masters this year.
When is it? Friday, August 1st – 7am and 12:30pm UTC+1 (BST)
Kyren Wilson vs Zhao Xintong
The Shanghai Masters semi-finals will continue on Saturday with a mouthwatering match involving the last two Crucible champions.
New world champion Zhao Xintong has looked in fine form as he launches his 2025/26 campaign, comfortably overcoming both Chris Wakelin and Ding Junhui so far.
Wilson’s terrific scoring performance against Si Jiahui in the last 16 was backed up by a 6-3 success over Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals.
Among the remaining quartet, Zhao is the only player who has never tasted victory at the Shanghai Masters.
Wilson got his maiden win on the main tour at the 2015 Shanghai Masters when he memorably won nine matches to claim his first ranking title.
The Kettering cueist has faced Zhao on just four occasions in the past and only once in a match longer than the best of five frames.
That was their very first encounter at the 2020 German Masters when Zhao edged Wilson with a 5-4 scoreline.
There is every reason to believe that this clash could be equally as close.
When is it? Saturday, August 2nd – 7am and 12:30pm UTC+1 (BST)
Shanghai Masters draw
Round of 24 (bo11)
Neil Robertson 6-2 Pang Junxu
Shaun Murphy 6-0 Han Fuyuan
Xiao Guodong 6-3 Lei Peifan
Ali Carter 6-1 Qiu Lei
Si Jiahui 6-4 Wang Xinbo
Barry Hawkins 6-4 Wu Yize
Zhang Anda 6-5 Yuan Sijun
Chris Wakelin 6-3 Zhou Jinhao
Round of 16 (bo11)
Judd Trump 6-2 Neil Robertson
Mark Selby 6-0 Shaun Murphy
John Higgins 4-6 Xiao Guodong
Mark Williams 5-6 Ali Carter
Kyren Wilson 6-5 Si Jiahui
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-5 Barry Hawkins
Ding Junhui 6-5 Zhang Anda
Zhao Xintong 6-2 Chris Wakelin
Quarter-Finals (bo11)
Judd Trump 4-6 Mark Selby
Xiao Guodong 5-6 Ali Carter
Kyren Wilson 6-3 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Ding Junhui 1-6 Zhao Xintong
Semi-Finals (bo19)
Mark Selby vs Ali Carter
Friday, August 1st – 7am and 12:30pm
Kyren Wilson vs Zhao Xintong
Saturday, August 2nd – 7am and 12:30pm
Final (bo21)
Selby/Carter vs Wilson/Zhao
Sunday, August 3rd – 7am and 12:30pm
Times in UTC+1 (BST)
Featured photo credit: WST
Second biggest invitational event in my view.
46 centuries have
already been made, superceding the record of 37 since it became an invitational event.