Snooker ref steps in as Kyren Wilson forgets rules in Masters final | Other | Sport

Wilson started his campaign with a convincing 6-2 victory over Si Jiahui, but the Warrior needed a final-frame decider to get through his quarter-final epic with Neil Robertson. There was yet more drama in the semi-final, as Wilson once again edged a 6-5 thriller, this time beating Wu Yize to set up another Masters final appearance. 

However, as the two players were going through their respective formalities before the match, Wilson waltzed up to break off, only to be stopped in his tracks by the referee.

That’s because Wilson had to be reminded that the coin toss hadn’t taken place, to which a sheepish Wilson couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about such an important aspect. 

The sleepy start translated over onto the table, as world No.5 Higgins took the opening frame in the final. Wilson did bounce back to take the second frame, before a medical emergency brought a momentary halt to proceedings. 

Tatiana has been married to husband Ben since 2011, with the pair having had two children together. She is forbidden from refereeing matches the 38-year-old is involved in, and the duo have worked hard to keep their respective careers separate. 

When asked about it in 2024, she replied: “He’s on the circuit as a player, I’m on the circuit as a referee. We’ve never really mix that. I’m obviously not allowed to referee his games and I wouldn’t want to, to be fair.”

The two have featured in the same events, including the World Championship and UK Championship. Ben wasn’t involved in the Masters as it’s reserved for the best 16 players in the world, but on the prospect of refereeing the showpiece event, Tatiana said: “I’m really, really excited. It’s massive event for the players, the Triple Crown events. But it’s also massive for the referees. I’m really looking forward to it.”