An 18-year-old Yuan Sijun sparked debate at the 2019 German Masters after a contentious moment in his 5-4 victory over John Higgins. The young Chinese player clinched the deciding frame by potting the black with a rest, then celebrated by shaking hands with Higgins and the referee. However, he forgot to remove the rest from the table, and the cue ball rolled into it as they turned away.
Technically, a foul should have been called, with the black re-spotted, but the result stood. Commentating on Eurosport, Neal Foulds said: 'I noticed that the referee spotted it at the end. I think everything has to stay the same as it is. Clearly, the ball wasn't going in. I would say to Yuan Sijun, Don't do it again, mate, ever.'
Fellow pundit Jimmy White added: 'If the referee had seen it, he would have called a foul shot but he didn't see it until after. It was just a little bit naive of him not to put the rest away.' Foulds continued: 'Technically, it's a foul. But sometimes, you have to look at the spirit of the game rather than just the letter of the law.'
Despite that upset and other wins, Sijun's career stalled, and he lost his tour card in 2021 before regaining it via Q-School. The 2026 German Masters continues this week in Berlin, with Kyren Wilson defending his title after beating Barry Hawkins 10-9 in last year's final.
