Wilson edges Trump to win Players Championship
World champion Kyren Wilson won his first Players Championship title by beating world number one Judd Trump 10-9 in a thrilling final.
With both playing aggressively, the two best players in the world on current form were tied at 4-4 at the interval in Telford.
Trump claimed a scrappy ninth frame after the resumption before Wilson reeled off the next four to seemingly take control.
But UK champion Trump won four of the next five frames, making the only century break of the match in the 18th to force a decider.
Amid tense exchanges, Trump missed a long red to the corner and Wilson pounced to claim his fourth ranking title of the season, with three of those victories coming against Trump.
He had previously beaten Trump in the Xi'an Grand Prix and the Northern Ireland Open finals in 2024.
"It's so special to lift trophies," said Wilson.
"It was mentioned this week that if I won, I would go level with the legend Jimmy White on 10 ranking titles. For me growing up, watching a legend like Jimmy, to be level with him is a dream come true."
Wilson was playing in his first Players Championship final, while Trump was aiming for his third title in this event, having last won in 2019-20.
Trump set the record for the most ranking titles in a season that term, with six wins.
Wilson has two ranking tournaments remaining this campaign to equal that record - the Tour Championship in Manchester, starting on 31 March, before he attempts to defend his world title in Sheffield, beginning on 19 April.
"We're a couple away now from the World Championship," added Wilson. "It gives me a bit of confidence going into that."
Former world champion Trump has won three events himself this term, two of them ranking titles, and has earned the most prize money in a single campaign.
The pair will be among the favourites for the 2025 World Championship, alongside Masters champion Shaun Murphy and four-time winner Mark Selby.
Seven-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan is not scheduled to play again until the World Championship after withdrawing from several events for medical reasons meant he did not qualify for the Players Championship or Tour Championship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Russell Wilson says he signed with Giants because of Malik Nabers
Russell Wilson did not have many options in free agency. According to the 10-time Pro Bowler, though, it was the presence of wide receiver Malik Nabers that prompted Wilson to sign with the Giants. 'I came here because of him,' Wilson said during the Fanatics Fest over the weekend, via Anthony Rivardo of Empire Sports Media. 'I really wanted to play with someone who is special like him.' Wilson played with three 1,000-yard receivers in Seattle in Tyler Lockett, Doug Baldwin and DK Metcalf. Metcalf caught 83 passes for 1,303 yards for the Seahawks in 2020, Wilson's next-to-last season in Seattle. Nabers had 1,204 yards as a rookie despite missing two games and playing with three different starting quarterbacks. He proved in his first season that he will get his yards no matter who the quarterback is. The question is: Who will throw to Nabers this year? Wilson is the favorite to start the season, but it won't be a surprise if rookie Jaxson Dart takes over the starting job at some point. Wilson will have to beat out Jameis Winston and Dart in training camp, and then, if he does that, he will have pressure to win to keep the job. The Giants start the season at Washington and at Dallas before hosting the Chiefs and Chargers. It is not going to be be easy for Wilson, but it will help to have Nabers.
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Standings: PSG advance to Round of 16, Lionel Messi next?
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer, the U.S. is hosting the revamped, 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in 11 cities across the country this summer. "One month, the best players in the world, the best clubs in the world, to determine who will be the real world championship for clubs," FIFA president Gianni Infantino told FOX Sports' Alexi Lalas earlier this month. "Not only national teams, but clubs. It's about time someone created a new Club World Cup, right?" Among the stars competing in the FIFA Club World Cup are Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembélé, Weston McKennie and Denzel Dumfries, all of whom are expected to star for their countries at the 2026 World Cup. Here are the current group standings for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Insider says ex-Steelers QB Russell Wilson expected to lose Giants starting role
Russell Wilson can't catch a break. After serving as the quarterback scapegoat for the Steelers' offensive struggles at the end of last season, Wilson is reportedly at risk of eventually losing the Giants' starting QB role to rookie Jaxson Dart. On a recent episode of The Insiders, Ian Rapoport acknowledged that while Wilson is currently the starter, he predicted Dart will eventually take the QB1 reins: "You listen to everything Brian Daboll says, you get an understanding of how far along Jaxson Dart is, and where you think he's going to go," Rapoport said. "It's clearly a matter of when, not if. And I'm really curious to see how good this Giants team could be, whenever they deem Jaxson Dart ready." One could argue that Wilson wasn't to blame for the Steelers' offensive issues in 2024 — as the late-season collapse falls more on the shoulders of scheme predictability and the lack of WR2 production. Still, the situation spells bad news for the former Steelers quarterback, who was hoping for a potential career resurgence in New York this season. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
