Kyren Wilson got his German Masters defence off to a strong start with a confident 5-1 defeat of Robert Milkins at the Tempodrom.
In his held-over match from the last 64, the recent Masters champion compiled breaks of 119, 75, 65, and 63 in a comfortable outing.
Wilson, who beat Barry Hawkins in last year’s German Masters final, will encounter Anthony McGill in the next round knowing that he needs to enjoy a deep run is he’s to safeguard his spot at next month’s Players Championship (Feb 17-22).
The 34 year-old is also the defending champion of that event, but he isn’t yet guaranteed to feature in Telford this year.
That’s because only the top 16 players from the one-year ranking list will gain an invitation, with Wilson provisionally down in 18th.
The Kettering cueist has won two huge invitational titles this season but boasts only two quarter-final appearances from ranking events.
“The Players Championship is another title that I managed to capture last season, so it’d be a real shame to not even have the chance to try to defend it,” Wilson told the World Snooker Tour.
“So I’ve got a little bit of work to do this week – I need them ranking points! Unfortunately, the ones I’ve won have been invitation.
“Look, I’m still chuffed that I won them because they are huge events. But yeah, I’ve got work to do.”
The 16-field lineup for the Players Championship will be set after the conclusion of the upcoming World Grand Prix in Hong Kong (Feb 3-8).
As things stand, Wilson has a deficit of almost £17,000 to Zhou Yuelong, who is currently clinging on to the 16th and final ticket instead.
Wilson, meanwhile, also spoke of his relief of finally adding the prestigious Masters crown to his CV.
In his third final at the Alexandra Palace just over a week ago, the Warrior finally managed to get his hands on the Paul Hunter Trophy courtesy of a 10-6 defeat of John Higgins.
“It was a huge relief – I’m so proud and pleased. It was sort of third-time lucky, and I feel like it’s all coming out of me now. I’m full of cold.”
“But I think that’s everything sort of leaving me, the tension and the pressure. Everything that you give during the whole week.
“It’s well worth it – an incredible tournament, an incredible venue, an incredible atmosphere. I’m very, very proud to be a part of history.”
Elsewhere on day one of the German Masters in Berlin, it was a good opening for most of the seeds who were in action.
Two-time former champion Mark Williams thumped Sanderson Lam 5-1 and there were victories too for Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen, and 2025 runner-up Hawkins.
The only upset saw Ishpreet Singh Chadha secure a 5-4 triumph against Scottish Open champion Chris Wakelin, representing an important win for the Indian in his quest for tour survival.
Neil Robertson and Jordan Brown both received byes through to the next round after expected Chinese opponents Chang Bingyu and Wu Yize were forced to withdraw from the competition.
On Tuesday, the remaining held-over ties will be played with the likes of Mark Selby, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Zhao Xintong, and Judd Trump entering the fray.
The round of 32 will then also commence during the evening session of play.
Click here to view the draw and schedule (snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WST
