Wilson Storms Ahead
Kyren Wilson took a huge stride towards a semi-final place at the Duelbits Tour Championship as he earned a 6-2 lead over Ali Carter in the opening session of their first round battle.
World number seven Wilson has played in this tournament twice before – in 2019 and 2021 – without winning a match, but is now within four frames of reaching the last four and a clash with Ding Junhui on Friday. Earlier this season the Kettering cueman won his fifth ranking crown at the European Masters, but victory in Hull on Sunday would be by far the biggest title of his career so far.
The opening frame went Wilson’s way and he added the second with a 137 total clearance, the new front-runner for the £10,000 high break prize. Carter, the German Masters champion, had a clear chance to pulled one back but missed the last red to a top corner when he led 63-30 in frame three, and Wilson punished him with a 35 clearance. Runs of 66 and 68 saw Wilson extend his advantage to 5-0.
Carter eventually found a rhythm and made breaks of 91 and 131 to close to 5-2. He had an early chance in the last frame of the session but potted just one red before missing a tricky cut on the black, and Wilson replied with 54 as he established a four frame cushion.
They resume at 7pm with first to ten frames to go through.