2023 German Masters

{{short description|Snooker tournament, held February 2023}}

{{Infobox individual snooker tournament

|tournament_name=2023 BetVictor German Masters

|logo=

|dates={{Start and end dates|2023|2|1|2023|2|5|df=y}}

|venue=Tempodrom

|location=Berlin

|country=Germany

|organisation=World Snooker Tour

|format=Ranking event

|Total prize fund=£427,000

|winners_share=£80,000

|highest_break={{flagathlete|Robert Milkins|ENG}} (147)

|defending_champion=

|winner={{flagathlete|Ali Carter|ENG}}

|runner_up={{flagathlete|Tom Ford|ENG}}

|score=10–3

|previous=2022

|next=2024

}}

The 2023 German Masters (officially the 2023 BetVictor German Masters) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 1 to 5 February 2023 at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany.{{Cite web|title=BetVictor German Masters 2023|url=https://wst.tv/tournaments/german-masters/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512221019/https://wst.tv/tournaments/german-masters/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 12, 2021|access-date=2022-10-28|website=World Snooker|language=en-US}} Organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by sports betting company BetVictor, the tournament was the tenth ranking event of the 2022–23 snooker season and the seventh of the eight events in the European Series. The 17th edition of the German Masters, first held in 1995 as the German Open, the tournament was broadcast by Eurosport in Europe and by multiple other broadcasters internationally.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-27 |title=How to watch 2023 German Masters, Draw, Schedule, Live Stream and TV coverage as Jimmy White in action at Tempodrom |url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/german-masters/2022-2023/how-to-watch-2023-german-masters-draw-schedule-live-stream-and-tv-coverage-as-jimmy-white-in-action-_sto9356704/story.shtml |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Eurosport}} The winner received £80,000 from a total prize fund of £427,000.{{Cite web |title=Prize Money World Rankings Schedule 2022/2023 Season |url=https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Tour-Prize-Money-Ranking-Points-Schedule-2022-2023-Season-v1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004090750/https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Tour-Prize-Money-Ranking-Points-Schedule-2022-2023-Season-v1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 4, 2022 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=World Snooker}}

The reigning world champion and world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan withdrew from the tournament and was replaced by Ross Muir.{{Cite web |last=Bisset |first=Roddy |date=2022-11-21 |title=O'Sullivan Withdraws From BetVictor German Masters |url=https://wst.tv/osullivan-withdraws-from-betvictor-german-masters/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121173020/https://wst.tv/osullivan-withdraws-from-betvictor-german-masters/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 21, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}} Many other highly ranked players—including Mark Allen, Stuart Bingham, Ryan Day, Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, and Mark Williams—lost in the qualifying rounds, which were held from 21 to 26 November 2022 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, England.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-26 |title=Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui, John Higgins and Barry Hawkins lose German Masters snooker qualifiers as shocks continue |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/german-masters/2021-2022/shaun-murphy-ding-junhui-john-higgins-and-barry-hawkins-lose-german-masters-snooker-qualifiers-as-sh_sto9244440/story.shtml |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}} In December 2022 and January 2023, amid a match-fixing investigation, the sport's governing body suspended four players who had qualified: Li Hang, Zhao Jianbo, and the previous year's finalists Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong.{{Cite news |title=UK Championship winner Zhao latest to be suspended |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/64152359 |access-date=2023-02-01}} Their opponents received walkovers to the next round.{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-01-18 |title=Updated German And Shoot Out Draws |url=https://wst.tv/updated-german-and-shoot-out-draws/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118103410/https://wst.tv/updated-german-and-shoot-out-draws/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 18, 2023 |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-01-18 |title=BetVictor German Masters 2023 Draw |url=https://mcusercontent.com/17bdd23358b4d4e5f9dae7a79/files/d9d8ba69-2862-6219-1c5e-8a1c81682c11/DrawSheet_BetVictor_German_Masters_2023_v2.pdf}} Only four players ranked inside the world's top 16—Luca Brecel, Jack Lisowski, Neil Robertson, and Kyren Wilson—featured at the main stage in Berlin.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-01 |title=German Masters 2023 - Latest scores, results, schedule, order of play as Neil Robertson heads reduced field |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/german-masters/2022-2023/german-masters-2023-latest-scores-results-schedule-order-of-play-as-neil-robertson-heads-reduced-fie_sto9363958/story-amp.shtml |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Eurosport}}

Zhao Xintong won the 2022 event, defeating Yan 9–0 in the final,{{Cite news |title=Zhao wins in Berlin with final whitewash |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/60192652 |access-date=2023-01-18}} but was unable to defend the title due to his suspension. Jimmy White defeated Peng Yisong 5–1 in the last 32, becoming the first player over 60 to reach the last 16 of a ranking event since Eddie Charlton at the 1992 British Open.{{Cite news |title=White reaches last 16 of German Masters |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/64494894 |access-date=2023-02-02}} Ali Carter defeated Tom Ford 10–3 in the final to win the tournament for a second time, following his previous win in 2013. It was Carter's fifth ranking title and his first ranking win since the 2016 World Open. He moved up eight places to 15th in the world rankings after the event.{{Cite web |last=Bisset |first=Roddy |date=2023-02-05 |title=Carter Victory Ends Title Drought |url=https://wst.tv/carter-victory-ends-title-drought/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205212322/https://wst.tv/carter-victory-ends-title-drought/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |title=Whitney Houston inspired me to title, says Carter |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/64533013 |access-date=2023-02-06}}

Robert Milkins made the third maximum break of his career, the highest of the tournament, in his quarter-final match against Chris Wakelin. Milkins also made a 146 break in his last-32 match against Daniel Wells.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-02-03 |title=Milkins Makes Berlin Maximum |url=https://wst.tv/milkins-makes-berlin-maximum/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203200208/https://wst.tv/milkins-makes-berlin-maximum/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}