Kyren Wilson won the 2025 Shanghai Masters crown with a tight 11-9 victory over Ali Carter on Sunday in China.
The world number two prevailed from an entertaining affair to claim the ยฃ210,000 top prize and the biggest title of the 2025/26 season so far.
Wilson began the final as the favourite but knew he was in for a tough encounter against an opponent who had performed a series of heroic comebacks throughout the week’s action.
Carter wasn’t even supposed to be in this edition of the tournament but received a call-up to replace Mark Allen in the draw after the Northern Irishman withdrew for personal reasons.
The Captain certainly made the most of his opportunity, first comprehensively beating one of the four Chinese amateur wildcards before then fighting back from behind to win his next three matches.
But the title-deciding affair ultimately proved to be one step too far for the 46 year-old, who has also fallen short at the last hurdle of both the World Championship and the Masters during his long career.
For Wilson, it’s another prestigious piece of silverware that the 33 year-old can add to his growing collection.
The Warrior’s maiden win on the World Snooker Tour transpired at the Shanghai Masters back in 2015 when the competition was previously staged as a ranking event.
But since its transition to an invitational boasting mostly the very elite from the main tour, the tournament’s stature has grown.
Wilson has esteemed company with only Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump having won the event under this guise in the past.
The 2024 world champion beat O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals and reigning Crucible king Zhao Xintong in the last four.
In the final, Carter began well a break of 68 before Wilson took the front with excellent runs of 129 and 96.
The latter countered his challenger’s breaks of 86 and 65 with runs of 51, 80, and 78 to establish a 5-3 lead.
Contributions of 68 and 66 from Carter at the end of the first session, though, ensured that the pair headed to the evening bout of play all-square.
Upon the resumption, Wilson twice reestablished his earlier two-frame advantage only to be pegged back on both occasions.
At 9-7 down, Carter compiled a brilliant 140 total clearance and backed it up with a 63 break to restore parity again.
At this point, it looked as though another miracle comeback was on the cards after three late four-frame winning bursts in the previous rounds.
But Wilson prevented Carter from taking the front with a timely 86 and then pinched a dramatic 20th frame on the black to duly seal his success.
Wilson ended what was an otherwise terrific last season in disappointment with a 10-9 reverse to Lei Peifan in the first round of the World Snooker Championship.
The Kettering cueist has launched his new term with a bang, reconfirming his status as one of the sport’s leading stars at present.
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 8-10 Ali Carter
Kyren Wilson 10-5 Zhao Xintong
Final (bo21)
Ali Carter 9-11 Kyren Wilson
Featured photo credit: WST
Undoubtedly one of the sports elite performers now. He looks hungry for more success does Wilson.
He’s the best player of this year so far. Only man to win three titles in 2025.
It represents Wilson’s 14th career title. His first major non ranking title.
Wilson becomes the third player after Ronnie O’Sullivan (5 times) and Ding to win multiple Shanghai Masters titles.
From the 1st televised tournament I seen kyren Wilson play a knew he would win many tournaments his temperament at the table is second to none pressure don’t affect him he just does the job he played all his life to get to fantastic player he is