Snooker
Food, Friendship and Fearless Debuts: Xiao Guodong and Wu Yize Shock the 2026 Masters
Xiao Guodong and Wu Yize stunned the field with fearless debut wins at the 2026 Masters, beating Mark Selby and defending champion Shaun Murphy. Xiao revealed their close off-table bond, explaining how he regularly cooks for Wu, a tradition that will not be broken despite their high-profile quarter-final clash.
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The opening day of the 2026 Masters produced a stunning double upset, as two of the tournament favourites were sent crashing out by debutants at Alexandra Palace. Defending champion Shaun Murphy was beaten by Wu Yize in the afternoon session, before recent UK Championship winner Mark Selby suffered a surprise evening defeat to Xiao Guodong.
Murphy’s exit set the tone, but it was Xiao’s composed and commanding performance against Selby that truly underlined the changing landscape of the elite game.
Xiao made a blistering start against the in-form Selby, racing into a remarkable 4–0 lead with barely a look-in for his opponent. Breaks of 62, 76, 77 and 95 showcased Xiao at his fluent best, as Selby struggled to settle.
After the mid-session interval, Selby briefly found momentum, taking two quick frames with breaks of 76 and a superb 101 to reduce the deficit.
Any hopes of a comeback were swiftly extinguished as Xiao reasserted himself in style. A magnificent 118 break restored control and moved him into a commanding 5–2 lead.
Final Frame Drama
The eighth frame nearly unravelled, however, in a moment of rare fortune for the Leicester man.
Early in the frame, Xiao opened the table nicely but on a break of 24 accidentally snookered himself behind the re-spotted black. A few uncharacteristic misses followed, allowing Selby a chance to clear.
Crucially, Selby missed the final yellow, handing Xiao a lifeline. The Chinese star returned to steal the frame and complete a memorable 6–2 victory.
Selby’s Masters Struggles Continue
The defeat was a surprise given Selby’s recent dominance. He ended 2025 as the standout player in the sport, winning back-to-back titles at the Champion of Champions and the UK Championship.
Yet despite once being a Masters specialist, Selby has struggled at the Triple Crown event for over a decade, failing to progress beyond the quarter-finals at any edition since 2014.
‘Nobody Thought I Could Win’
Post-match, Xiao admitted he relished the challenge of facing one of the game’s toughest competitors and embraced the underdog role.
“Before the match, nobody thought I could win. I just told myself to believe. Don't think too much. This is the first time to play [at Alexandra Palace], enjoy, you’ve got nothing to lose,” Xiao told SportsBoom.co.uk.
“I always love to play Mark Selby. He’s a top player and is so hard to play.”
“I’m so happy. I really enjoyed the crowd, many people came to watch me.”
Record Chinese Representation at the Masters
Xiao is one of five Chinese players competing at this year’s Masters — a tournament record — alongside Wu Yize, reigning world champion Zhao Xintong, Si Jiahui and Ding Junhui.
Remarkably, Xiao will now face Wu in the quarter-finals, after both men claimed debut victories on the same day.
With both players making their Masters debuts, Xiao says the occasion outweighs the outcome.
“It’s the first time for the both of us to come and play at the Masters. One of us will go to the semi-final, it doesn’t matter.”
“We’ve played many times in the academy. We love to play each other. He’s very good and a dangerous player. He’s going to be very good in the future.”
Friendship with Wu
Their bond stretches far beyond competition. Xiao shared just how close the pair are away from the baize, seeing each other daily at their Sheffield academy.
“Yeah, of course. We see each other every day.”
“We stay with each other sometimes; we cook and talk.”
Xiao also revealed how he regularly cooks for Wu, explaining that it began four years ago when he prepared a meal for Wu’s 18th birthday, a tradition he has continued ever since. On that occasion, he even baked him a birthday cake.
“On his 18th birthday I said I will cook for you, and we can eat together for his 18th birthday to make it different.”
“It was seafood. And then I baked him a birthday cake. At the time him and his dad came to my apartment.”
Xiao then laughed as he compared life in the UK to home comforts in China, admitting cooking has become a necessity rather than a hobby.
“In the UK we have to cook. We cannot always order food, in China nobody cooks. We always get someone to cook for you, but in the UK it’s much different.”
Tradition Continues Before Quarter-Final Clash
Despite the high stakes of a Masters quarter-final, Xiao confirmed nothing will change between them.
“It doesn’t matter, we will eat together,” he concluded.
Louis Hobbs is the Sports Editor at SportsBoom, overseeing daily coverage across a wide range of sports while shaping the site’s editorial direction and breaking news agenda.
When he’s not editing the website from home or SportsBoom’s London office, Louis can usually be found in the darts or snooker press room. He has covered both sports extensively for SportsBoom, reporting live from venues for over three years and building strong relationships across the professional circuits.
With a background in interviews, exclusives and live event reporting, Louis combines on-the-ground insight with sharp editorial judgement to ensure SportsBoom delivers authoritative, engaging and timely sports journalism.