Reigning world champion Wu Yize opened his season with a 6-2 win over Si Jiahui in the second round of the Shanghai Masters, reeling off three centuries — including two breaks of 140 — on his first competitive appearance since lifting the title at the Crucible in May (BBC Sport).

Wu, 22, raced into a 3-0 lead before Si, 24, pulled two frames back to tighten the match at 3-2. Wu then won three in a row to close it out. A century break — a run of 100 or more points in a single visit to the table — is the benchmark of a fluent scorer, and Wu struck three: a 108 and two 140s, the kind of scoring that leaves an opponent sitting in his chair for long stretches.

Afterward, Wu admitted he had felt rusty. He told BBC Sport he had not been able to practise properly recently, which made the fluency of his break-building all the more striking.

The victory sets up a quarter-final against Shaun Murphy — a repeat of the 2026 World Championship final, which Wu won (BBC Sport). Murphy, the defending Masters champion going into 2026, reached the last eight the hard way: a 6-5 win over Zhou Yuelong, decided by a break of 65 in the final frame.

The two have history beyond Sheffield. Wu beat Murphy in the first round of the 2026 Masters at Alexandra Palace, ending Murphy's defence of that title (BBC Sport). Murphy will now have the chance to even the slate in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Masters, an invitational tournament running from July 27 to August 2, brings together a select field rather than the full tour (WST). Si had reached the second round with a 6-4 win over Pang Junxu the previous day (WST).

For fans, the quarter-final pairing carries the quiet tension that makes snooker compelling. Wu has beaten Murphy twice on the biggest stages this year — the World Championship final and the Masters first round. Murphy, a seasoned competitor who has been navigating big matches for two decades, ground out his own deciding frame to get here. The table is set for a proper contest.