Image source, Getty Images

What an opening day of the Masters it has been with defeats for both 2025 champion Shaun Murphy and reigning UK title holder Mark Selby.

Thank you for joining us and we will be back at 13:00 GMT on Monday with day two. See you then.

Let's hear from both players now...

"The venue is good, the people watching are good and everything is perfect - this was my first time playing in the Masters," said Xiao Guodong.

"We both played good and I won the first four frames and gave Mark a bit of pressure but then he came back so it was a good game.

"Nobody thought I could win, I just told myself 'enjoy, be more relaxed and not think about winning or losing'. A lot of people were supporting me and that gives me confidence."

For 42-year-old Mark Selby, he had no complaints about the result and said: "In the first four frames I didn't have many chances. Every time Xiao came to the table I made it easy for him.

"I did well to make it 4-2 and felt I had some momentum, then I missed and Xiao punished my mistakes.

"I feel good about my game even though I lost so it's just one to forget."

Wu Yize will now play Xiao Guodong in the quarter-finals on Thursday after Xiao played superbly to defeat three-time champion Mark Selby in the evening session.

Xiao, 36, made breaks of 95, 62, 76 and 77 as he won the opening four frames, with Selby's highest break only being 21.

But the four-time world champion threatened a superb comeback as he made breaks of 101 and 76 to bring it back to 2-4.

Xiao had not potted a ball in 46 minutes but then did excellently to make a break of 118 to move one frame away from victory, which he clinched by edging a scrappy eighth frame.

Xiao Guodong has done it, beating reigning UK champion Mark Selby 6-2.

That's two Chinese debutants winning on an amazing day and out go last year's Masters champion and the reigning UK Champion. What a day.

Selby misses the yellow and that could be his last shot in this year's tournament.

And Selby leaves the red in a dangerous position, but Xiao stumbles again. He pots the red, but has not shot on the black and misses the brown.

But Mark Selby's hopes are still alive as Xiao misses when 32-6 ahead.

A cracking long red from Xiao, when the cue was tight on the baulk cushion, gives him another opportunity.

Xiao will be reliving this shot if he doesn't win this match. He is 24-4 up, with the table at his mercy, but then leaves the cue tight to the black and that stops him reaching his target red. He has to go safe.

Selby may have thought it was all over.

Xiao Guodong back at the table, with another opportunity. A lot of work to do, but he's at the table.

Xiao, with a potential match-winning chance, falters and has to go safe, 1-7.

This is how Mark Selby missed the blue in the last frame...

...with Xiao punishing that mistake with a century.

Mark Selby pots the first red of the eighth frame, but then misses the black off the spot and Xiao comes to the table knowing this is a potential match-winning chance.

When it comes to the format at the Masters, best-of-11 matches are played until the final, with the showpiece match played out over 19 frames or until somebody reaches the magic number of 10.

We have not had a decider in a final since 2010, when Mark Selby defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan, in fact over recent years scores of 10-8 and 10-7 have held sway in the final.

Recent finals..

• 2025: Shaun Murphy beat Kyren Wilson 10-7
• 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Ali Carter 10-7
• 2023: Judd Trump beat Mark Williams 10-8
• 2022: Neil Robertson beat Barry Hawkins 10-4
• 2021: Yan Bingtao beat John Higgins 10-8
• 2020: Stuart Bingham beat Ali Carter 10-8
• 2019: Judd Trump beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-4
• 2018: Mark Allen beat Kyren Wilson 10-7
• 2017: Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Joe Perry 10-7
• 2016: Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Barry Hawkins 10-1

The Masters, a non-ranking event for the world's top 16 players, is the second Triple Crown competition of the season.

And the prize money befits such a prestigious event.

• Winner: £350,000
• Runner-up: £140,000
• Semi-finals: £75,000
• Quarter-finals: £40,000
• Last 16: £25,000
• High break: £15,000

After 46 minutes without potting a ball, Xiao gets back in action after Selby missed a blue and the Chinese player hits a wonderful break of 118.

Mark Selby gets 17-0 ahead in frame seven, only to miss a blue into the middle. Xiao, who had not potted a ball for 46 minutes, now has a glorious chance to move one frame from victory.

Mark Selby is back in this and he's only two frames down now after a superb break of 76 to take frame six 94-0.

Mark Selby won the fifth frame thanks to a century. This is how he did it...

Mark Selby, after a miserable first mini session, shows his class with a century break of 101 to take the fifth frame.