Latest news with #KyrenWilson
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Kyren Wilson ready to follow Ronnie O'Sullivan's lead in bid to regain World Snooker Championship crown
KYREN Wilson has pledged to be more like Ronnie O'Sullivan in a bid to improve his performances. The decision came after his opening round exit at the World Snooker Championship at the hands of debutant Lei Peifan this year. 2 2 O'Sullivan voiced concerns on punditry duties that the 33-year-old defending champion might have spread himself too thin over a hectic snooker schedule. A receptive Wilson said to Metro: "I think definitely I'll take a leaf out of his book. "I think you want to stay hungry. You want to keep enjoying it. "And I think if you slog it out and you go tournament, tournament, tournament, tournament, it almost becomes too repetitive to the point where you stop enjoying it." The star did not feel impaired going into the tournament and was taken by surprise at his opponent. He said: "'It was definitely a unique feeling because that's probably the most confident I've ever gone into a World Championship. "I really, really fancied winning it. [Lei] played some really inspired snooker and just hit the ground running in the evening session. "So yeah, no complaints really." Wilson fell victim to snooker's infamous Crucible curse. The curse refers to the inability of a first-time winner to retain their title since 1977 when the tournament moved to Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. Reflecting on what was the biggest shock of the tournament with seven-time winner O'Sullivan could change Wilson's form. But it is unlikely to go down well with the fans who will want to see more matchups of the greats not fewer.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Kyren Wilson ready to follow Ronnie O'Sullivan's lead in bid to regain World Snooker Championship crown
KYREN Wilson has pledged to be more like Ronnie O'Sullivan in a bid to improve his performances. The decision came after his Advertisement 2 Defending champion Kyren Wilson crashed out of the Crucible Credit: Getty 2 The star could take a step back after advice from O'Sullivan to turn his form around Credit: Alamy A receptive Wilson said to "I think you want to stay hungry. You want to keep enjoying it. "And I think if you slog it out and you go tournament, tournament, tournament, tournament, it almost becomes too repetitive to the point where you stop enjoying it." Advertisement READ MORE SNOOKER NEWS The star did not feel impaired going into the tournament and was taken by surprise at He said: "'It was definitely a unique feeling because that's probably the most confident I've ever gone into a World Championship. "I really, really fancied winning it. [Lei] played some really inspired snooker and just hit the ground running in the evening session. "So yeah, no complaints really." Advertisement Most read in Snooker JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Wilson fell victim to snooker's infamous Crucible curse. The curse refers to the inability of a first-time winner to retain their title since 1977 when the tournament moved to Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. Kyren Wilson rolls his eyes at World Snooker Championship announcer live on BBC as 'curse' is instantly brought up Reflecting on what was the biggest shock of the tournament with seven-time winner O'Sullivan could change Wilson's form. Advertisement But it is unlikely to go down well with
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Kyren Wilson responds as O'Sullivan shows true colours with Crucible message
Kyren Wilson suffered an early exit from the World Championships in Sheffield earlier this season but has been given some advice by Ronnie O'Sullivan that he's determined to stick by Kyren Wilson is set to follow Ronnie O'Sullivan 's advice to ensure that snooker does not become a 'slog'. The 33-year-old arrived at the Crucible last month as the defending world champion. But his run in the competition ended as quickly as it had begun with a 10-9 defeat to Chinese youngster Lei Peifan in the opening round. Seven-time champion O'Sullivan had hinted that Wilson 's exit was down to a packed snooker schedule, something that the latter is keen to rectify so he can return to top form. Wilson said: 'I chatted at length with Ronnie about it actually. We had a phone call during the World Championships after I'd been beaten, which was really nice of him to give me a bit of support afterwards. 'I'd done an exhibition in Macau over New Year 's. I got back, I went straight into the Championship League, won that group, got straight into the Masters final and then went straight to Germany, won that, then went straight into the Championship League again and I lost in the final of that. 'We spoke at that time actually and just had a little chat about it. And in hindsight, maybe I should have just skipped the Championship League, although I wanted to keep winning because I know I'm playing well and I think I can win. You've just got to rest your mind at certain times and maybe that was the time.' O'Sullivan has certainly dialled back his own commitments at the table over recent months. He had barely played heading into the World Championships in Sheffield. Wilson is determined to allow himself a break every now and again to ensure the sport doesn't become a chore. He added: 'I think definitely I'll take a leaf out of his book. I think you want to stay hungry. 'You want to keep enjoying it. And I think if you slog it out and you go tournament, tournament, tournament, tournament, it almost becomes too repetitive to the point where you stop enjoying it. 'Whereas if you give yourself a little break, you're like, oh, you know, I miss it, I really want to get back to it. And I think that's something he's been very clever with over the years. That's something I need to look at doing for the future of my career to kind of get the best out of me at the right times.'
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Ronnie O'Sullivan reply said it all after Stephen Hendry shut down Kyren Wilson claim
Ronnie O'Sullivan reply said it all after Stephen Hendry shut down Kyren Wilson claim Kyren Wilson won the World Snooker Championship last year but caused a stir with his comments on the table conditions at the Crucible, which Ronnie O'Sullivan did not agree with Ronnie O'Sullivan was asked about an issue that was discussed during the 2024 World Snooker Championship (Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images ) The World Snooker Championship was at the centre of a heated debate last year - one which Ronnie O'Sullivan was his nonchalant self about. The seven-time world champion reached the semi-finals this year but shrugged off questions about whether smaller pockets influenced his quarter-final exit in 2024. Kyren Wilson became the Crucible king in 2024 after defeating Welsh qualifier Jak Jones 18-14. Despite his success, Wilson sparked discussions about changes to pocket sizes, prompting responses from fellow snooker stars Shaun Murphy and Stephen Hendry. In contrast, O'Sullivan sidestepped the controversy with a typically laid-back response. Speaking on the Snooker Club podcast, Wislon shared his pocket size theory: "I do think so. I must admit, when it's gone to one-table I don't think it was as tight as the two tables. Maybe it was because of the new cloth for the semis, so it's going to slide in more. Then for the final they change the cushion cloth so it slides in more as well. "I remember playing John [Higgins] last year, and he played a black down the cushion, and he was walking [to his next shot]. There's no way that would go in this year so they're definitely tighter than last year, 100 per cent. And obviously I've won it, so they're mega tight!" O'Sullivan brushed off the idea that pockets had shrunk, and suggested that it shouldn't be much of a problem for top-tier players. "They seem all right to me. If you hit them sweet, they go in; if you don't, they don't go in," O'Sullivan explained. Article continues below "Simple as. That's always been my motto. The tighter the better, really. It makes you more accurate." Kyren Wilson argued that the pockets were made smaller during the 2024 World Snooker Championship (Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images ) Hendry, who has seven world championships to his name, echoed O'Sullivan's sentiments. "There's been a lot of talk about the tight pockets. I'm not out there playing, the players are playing - so you've got to trust their opinions," the pundit said. "But what happened to all the so-called best players in the world [who were knocked out early]? Ronnie [O'Sullivan], Judd [Trump], Mark Williams, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen - the new world No. 1. I'm sure I'll get a backlash from the players saying the tables were tight, but I say what I see." Conversely, reigning Masters champion Murphy supported Wilson's argument: "The pockets are much smaller. These new batch of Star tables we've been using all season, they are more difficult. I don't know who made the decision to make the pockets smaller but they probably should have consulted with the players first." A year later, defending champion Wilson bowed out at the opening round in Sheffield. Newly-crowned world champion Zhao Xintong seized the title, delivering an emphatic 17-7 victory over O'Sullivan in the semi-finals last week. Stephen Hendry disagreed with Kyren Wilson (Image:) After his defeat to Zhao, O'Sullivan told SportsBoom: "I wasn't that bothered to be fair to you. I wasn't surprised, I've been playing like that a lot in practice. It's just hard to get my head around it. I can't even fix it, that's the problem. I know I said I'd like to give it two years, but if I'm gonna play like it, it's pretty pointless. It's not good." Despite being unsure about his own future in the sport, O'Sullivan was full of praise for Zhao. Before Zhao defeated Mark Williams in the final, O'Sullivan argued: "I think it would be amazing. I think if he did win he would be a megastar. He's still very big in China as it is. But if he becomes world champion it would just be amazing for snooker and for his life as well. Article continues below "He can definitely get over the line. I think he'll have more of a test [in the final]. That will be a proper test for him. He played great. You have to give credit where it's due. We've got a really nice relationship. I'm always trying to help him if I can."
Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
World Snooker Championship winner spent £500K winnings on one purchase
Kyren Wilson won the World Snooker Championship in 2024, pocketing a cool £500,000 in the process, and the former champion very quickly invested his winnings Kyren Wilson claimed victory at the World Snooker Championship in 2024, edging out Jack Jones in the final with an 18-14 victory. And as he celebrated at The Crucible, he already knew exactly what he wanted to do with his £500,000 top prize. Opting for a sensible investment over a lavish splurge, Wilson ploughed his entire winnings into a holiday home in Portugal, promising his family a permanent getaway spot to bask in sun and tranquillity. But the journey to financial security was a challenge for the Wilson clan. There was a time when cash was tight, especially during the early days of Wilson's career. In a heartfelt recollection, he reflected on his modest upbringing. He commented: "My dad has a fight on his hands every day with multiple sclerosis and that puts snooker into perspective. It's nothing compared to what he and my mum have to go through. "She's been a loyal servant to Weetabix for 30-odd years on the packaging side of things. It's probably not the ideal thing she wanted for her life, but she knew it'd bring stability to our family. "They re-mortgaged the house so I could go out and fulfil my dream. I spoil my children now, but I remind them it wasn't always like this. Everything seems like a bonus because you never had anything. "I think that's been a key part of my success. I went in very hungry and humble. That's kept me down to earth and made me appreciate the value of money." After landing the sport's biggest prize, Wilson's winnings shot up to £3million. He has since pocketed just shy of another £1m in the 2024-25 season alone. Wilson's current triumphs are a far cry from his early days as an up-and-coming snooker star, when scrimping and saving was the norm for his family's travel plans. He reminisced about the lean times, saying, "We basically couldn't afford a hotel. "If the tournament was somewhere where there was no other way but staying overnight, my mum used to bring a little grill so we could make bacon sandwiches in the morning because we couldn't afford the hotel breakfast." In spite of a recent tight 10-9 loss to China's Lei Peifan in the opening round of defending his title, Wilson remains focused. He candidly shared his coping mechanism after facing big disappointments: "You can get a bit lost out there sometimes. "You forget the most important reasons, if you like, but that gave me the fire in my belly to give my family a great life. I told Sophie (his wife), 'You bring our son up and I'll try and bring in the earnings,' and I've kicked on ever since then really.' "It's been tough sometimes. I do feel like a bit of a part-time dad. You're always in a different city, country, airplane. When I close the door I can see it breaks the kids' hearts. "I've been begged not to go, but hopefully when they're adults they'll know it was all for this."
