Masters debutant David Gilbert believes his 6-1 slaying of Mark Allen was the best performance of his career.
Gilbert raced into a 4-0 lead at the interval, revealing a more relaxed approach to the tournament aided his performance.
The 38-year-old said: "It's the best game I've ever played. The arm felt so good from ball one. The balls just kept going in and it relaxed me straight away.
"I don't know what bubble I was in, just I just felt very chilled out from the off and it really helped me. I wanted to be out there, which hasn't always been the case.
"There was no fear of being embarrassed by being hammered. I don't talk anymore about 'what happens if I get beat 6-0', I just don't think that way anymore."
For Allen, this defeat brings back painful memories from 12 months ago, where he was beaten by Luca Brecel.
Like in 2019, the 2020 Masters saw Allen run into an opponent just too hot to handle on the day.
Allen said: "Early on I was trying to force my shots and picking the wrong shots. Once 2-0 down it was always a battle once it was clear David was on an inspired day and wouldn't throw it away. He played very well.
"For as well as he played, I have some serious questions to ask and answer about my performance."
