Ronnie O’Sullivan and Kyren Wilson booked their places in the semi finals at this year’s UK Snooker Championship on Monday, overpowering Neil Robertson 10-2. The duo will meet each other for a place in Sunday’s final after both sides of the draw have been concluded.
The “ronnie o sullivan vs kyren wilson” is a match between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Kyren Wilson. The match took place at the UK Snooker Championship 2021, and ended with Kyren Wilson winning 7-5.
| York Barbican is the venue for this event. Dates: November 23rd through December 5th One, Two, iPlayer, Red Button, Sport website and app are all covered. |
| Covering dates, times, and outcomes |
With a dramatic 6-5 win against seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, Kyren Wilson advanced to the semi-finals of the UK Championship for the first time.
In a high-quality match between the two highest-ranked players remaining in the competition, Wilson, 29, made three half-century breaks and two centuries.
O’Sullivan had come back from 2-0 and 5-3 down to tie the match at 5-5 in a rematch of the 2020 World Championship final.
On Saturday, Wilson will meet Luca Brecel, the world number five.
With a 6-2 triumph against Scotland’s world number 16, Anthony McGill, ‘The Belgian Bullet’ continued where he left off in his sweeping wins over Stephen Maguire and Anthony Hamilton to reach the final four.
And there are hints that the 26-year-old is realising the promise he showed as a youngster and in becoming the first mainland European player to win a ranking tournament in 2017.
Brecel stormed off to a 3-0 lead and never looked like abandoning control of the match, scoring four half-centuries along the way.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xintong, the world number 26 from China, beat England’s Jack Lisowski 6-2 after dropping the first two games.
The 30-year-old Lisowski, who is nine places ahead of his opponent in the world rankings, produced breaks of 79 and 63. Zhao, on the other hand, was rewarded for a few loose pots and some sloppy safety, as he racked up four century breaks before capping off his victory with a break of 83.
Zhao will face Barry Hawkins in the semi-finals as the world number 14 beat Andy Hicks 6-1 in an all-England match.
Hawkins, 42, had created a dominating 4-0 lead with three half-century breaks before Hicks, 48, won the fifth set with a break of 50. On his first participation at this level of the UK Championship since 1995, it assured he would not be beaten.
Wilson maintains his composure.
Wilson, who has yet to win one of snooker’s Triple Crown tournaments, having finished second to O’Sullivan at both the Masters and the Crucible, will be the obvious favorite in his match against Brecel.
“Luca is a really talented young man. He had a great win in China a few years back, and we all expected him to keep going. I’m excited for that game “Wilson said to Sport.
Wilson showed off his break-building prowess early on against O’Sullivan, winning both of the first two frames in a single visit, with runs of 92 and 117 respectively.
O’Sullivan came back with a bang, winning the following frame and then tying the match at 2-2 with a 115-point break.
The players next swapped frames, with Wilson regaining the lead with a 66 and O’Sullivan tying it up with a 76. Wilson recovered control with a calm 71-point break, and then added the eighth frame to move two up.
However, the tension rose when supporters entered and exited the theater, as well as O’Sullivan’s objection over a photographer’s backdrop movement.
“We’re not in a hurry, I told the referee. I’m here to play snooker, and the match will go as long as it takes “According to O’Sullivan.
“It makes no difference to me. I’ve performed in both excellent and awful settings. Just keep eating the smoked salmon and cream cheese, because that’s what it is.”
The six-time world champion looked to benefit from the interruption, as he scored breaks of 64 and 83 to force a final-frame decision.
Wilson, who had an unlucky run of balls after splitting the reds at 5-3 and 5-4, recovered beautifully to score a controlled break of 102 and win just his third match against O’Sullivan.
“It was one of those [matches] when you felt like the snooker gods weren’t on your side, and I definitely should have won 6-3. Then things began to change, and I began to believe I had missed the boat “Wilson went on to say.
“Under duress, I took a step back. It was wonderful to have it under my belt after letting a few slide with Ronnie.”
Who will be the next Chinese superstar?
Zhao Xintong rose to fame after winning the International Championship in 2012, defeating previous world champion Ken Doherty.
Zhao had been likened to tennis legend Roger Federer by O’Sullivan earlier in the week, with the proviso that he now has to transform his inherent skill into tournament success after failing to advance beyond the quarter-finals the previous two seasons.
After excelling as a 15-year-old in Asian competitions, the 24-year-old has been regarded as one of the game’s most promising players for almost a decade.
He may be capable of breaking through on the big stage in York, as seen by his third-round victory against four-time world champion John Higgins, in which he surgically capitalized on Lisowski’s blunders.
“For me, this is a significant competition. It has the potential to boost my self-assurance. I’d want to give it my all, and I believe I can [win the event]. All I have to do now is keep my cool “Zhao expressed his thoughts.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself by thinking about it (the semi-final).”
Analysis
Steve Davis, six-time world champion, on Two:
“Kyren Wilson was pleased with his own accomplishments. He handled the pressure and disappointment of not being on a red as he went into the pack. He has the ability to win big tournaments and is steadily climbing the ranks.
“I don’t believe anybody would be shocked if he won the World Championship, the UK Championship, or the Masters.”
Shaun Murphy, world champion in 2005:
“Both players had outstanding performances. But I believe I’ve identified it as one of Kyren Wilson’s greatest performances. He’s won a number of tournaments and has established himself as a serious competitor every time he takes his cue to the table.
“What he accomplished tonight, and the manner he did it – standing up to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s assault at the finish – is one of the finest we’ve ever seen.”
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