Reigning Masters champion Shaun Murphy was eliminated on day one of the 2026 event, losing 6-2 to China’s Wu Yize in the first round.
Murphy, who beat Kyren Wilson to win the Triple Crown event for a second time a year ago, lost the opening three frames and, despite taking frame four, then lost the fifth on a black-ball finish.
Wu, 22, is ranked 13th in the world and picked up his first ranking title in November when he won the International Championship in Yanjing in his home country, beating world champions Judd Trump, Zhao Xintong and John Higgins along the way.
On his Alexandra Palace debut, Wu made a superb clearance of 137 in frame two and a break of 56 in frame seven.
He will play either current UK champion Mark Selby or China’s Xiao Guodong in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
More to follow.