Kyren Wilson scored a 13-6 win over Joe O’Connor to make the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship for the seventh time in his career.
The Warrior has a formidable record on snooker’s grandest stage. His steely all-round game is well suited to the gruelling test which the Crucible provides. Wilson is a three-time semi-finalist and was runner-up to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2020. He’s still seeking a maiden World Championship title.
Wilson is now just one win away from a return to the hallowed single table setup, where defeated Anthony McGill 17-16 in one of the most dramatic deciding frames of all-time four years ago. In Wilson’s way will be either four-time Crucible king John Higgins or Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, who is hunting a first world crown.
O’Connor’s Crucible debut ends in defeat, but he can take pride in his best ever Sheffield showing. The world number 30 defeated Matthew Selt 10-8 in a marathon qualifying clash to become this year’s only Crucible debutant. The 28-year-old had a dream first appearance, beating fellow Leicester cueman, four-time World Champion and close friend Mark Selby 10-6 in the opening round.
The pair came into this afternoon’s concluding session with Wilson holding a 10-6 lead, after O’Connor fired in a break of 102 in the last frame yesterday evening to remain in touch. However, when play got underway today it was Wilson who extinguished any hopes of a fightback.
The first frame was in the balance, before a long-range final yellow from the Kettering cueman helped him to clear to the pink and make it 11-6. Wilson then dominated the 18th to move one from victory.
He had looked to be coasting over the line in the next, before an unexpected missed black off the spot. O’Connor couldn’t capitalise and spurned a red with the rest to effectively end his hopes with Wilson clinching the frame and the match.
“Sometimes it is nice to go under the radar. I had that all throughout my junior career, I was never fancied. I managed to come under the radar and win a lot of the events. It is irrelevant if people are tipping you or not, they can’t help you win. I try to ignore all of that. You have to put it to one side and focus on yourself. "
Kyren Wilson
Five-time Ranking Event Winner
32-year-old Wilson added: “I always seem to peak for Sheffield. I know the process I have to go through to get myself in form going into this event. It definitely helps if you hit the ground running and I managed to do that with my win over Dominic Dale in the first round. As soon as you get a win here, you feel a part of the tournament. You get a feel for the venue and you settle in.
“Next I have either an all-time great who has won the World Championship four times (John Higgins) or the provisional world number one (Mark Allen). It is going to be a tough game, both lads are playing well. Hopefully it goes 13-12 and they are both shattered!”
O'Connor said: "I'm dissapointed. Kyren was the better player over the sessions and he did deserve to win. It is frustrating to not get out of first gear. On the whole, it is a great tournament and it has been great to be a part of it.
"The first match made it really. It was a bit of a dream to play Mark and to get the result as well. It has been amazing having all of my family and friends here. It is one to cherish."