Gilbert Leads Wilson Ahead Of Last Session
David Gilbert secured a 10-6 advantage heading into tomorrow’s final session of his Betfred World Championship quarter-final clash with Kyren Wilson.
The Tamworth potter is competing in his maiden World Championship quarter-final, but has looked at ease as he bids to progress further and secure a trip to the one-table semi-finals.
Gilbert will be wary of world number eight Wilson’s ability to overturn deficits. The match is a repeat of this year’s German Masters final, where Wilson came from 7-5 down to defeat Gilbert 9-7 in front of 2,500 fans at Berlin’s Tempodrom.
Wilson is appearing in the last eight at the Crucible for the fourth consecutive year. The Warrior went on an impressive run to reach the semi-finals for the first time last year. On that occasion he succumbed to a 17-13 defeat against John Higgins. He has his work cut out if he is to return to the last four this year.
The pair were locked together at 4-4 following this morning’s first session. When play got underway this evening it was world number 16 Gilbert who took the game by the scruff of the neck.
He made breaks of 82, 78 and 102 either side of a superb run of 138 from Wilson to lead 7-5 at the mid-session interval.
Wilson took the first frame when they returned to close the gap to 7-6. However, runs of 72, 58 and 60 saw Gilbert seize control of the tie and finish 10-6 up.
Gilbert requires just three more frames for a semi-final place when they play to a conclusion from 2:30pm tomorrow.
On the other table, Gary Wilson is on course to keep his superb run going as he leads Ali Carter 9-7. Wilson had never won a match at the Crucible before this year, but having knocked out Luca Brecel and Mark Selby, the world number 32 is now just four frames away from the semi-finals.
Carter was runner-up to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2008 and 2012 but needs to win six of the last nine frames if he is to keep his hopes alive this time.
World number 19 Carter trailed 5-3 going into tonight’s session and got the fast start he needed, making a break of 102 to win the first frame of the evening, then taking the next on the colours to level at 5-5.
Wallsend cueman Wilson responded superbly as runs of 51 and 134 put him 7-5 up. He could have gone further ahead but missed the final pink to a baulk corner in frame 13, allowing Carter to pot pink and black.
Wilson showed his resilience, making an 82 for 8-6. Frame 15 again came down to the last two balls and this time Wilson converted pink and black to go three ahead for the first time. Carter took the last of the session with a 59 to give himself hope.
They resume at 10am on Wednesday; first to 13 frames will be the first man into the semi-finals.