World Snooker Championship: Kyren Wilson to face Jak Jones in Crucible final
Kyren Wilson into second World Snooker Championship final with 17-11 win over David Gilbert at The Crucible; Wilson, who lost in 2020 final to Ronnie O'Sullivan, will face qualifier Jak Jones for the title on Sunday and Monday after Jones beats 2015 champion Stuart Bingham 17-12
Sunday 5 May 2024 00:58, UK
Kyren Wilson reached the World Snooker Championship final for a second time after clinching a 17-11 victory over David Gilbert and will now face Jak Jones after the qualifier saw off 2015 winner Stuart Bingham 17-12.
Twelfth seed Wilson, beaten 18-8 by seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 2020 final at The Crucible, led Gilbert 14-10 overnight and completed his win just four frames later.
Gilbert registered a century in the final frame on Friday evening to cut his arrears to four and then reduced that to three with a break of 70 on Saturday afternoon, only for Wilson to reel off three three frames in a row to advance, hitting half-centuries in the last two.
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Gilbert endured semi-final disappointment again, having been pipped 17-16 by John Higgins at this stage in 2019, with Wilson now one victory away from a sixth - and by far the biggest - ranking title of his career.
Jones secures place in world's top 16
World No 44 Jones began his final session against Bingham with a 13-10 advantage and won four of the six frames contested on Saturday evening to secure a spot in his maiden ranking final.
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Jones is hoping to become just the the third qualifier to win the Crucible title, after Shaun Murphy in 2005 and Terry Griffiths in 1979.
Bingham, who knocked out O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals, had a chance to cut Jones' lead to 13-12 but he then made an error looking to play safe on the green, allowing Jones to move 14-11 ahead.
Welshman Jones did not falter after that and has now guaranteed a place in the world's top 16 for next season.
He said: "It's crazy, it was totally unexpected coming into the tournament and I don't think I've played particularly well. I've watched the world final every year on TV at home and to be in it doesn't feel real yet, it hasn't sunk in."
Wilson: I had the pressure of being favourite
Wilson, who had only reached one semi-final this season, said: "Coming into this event, I didn't have the best of seasons and then all of a sudden everybody is saying I'm the favourite and I've got to handle that pressure.
"Our minds are so clogged up with so many different things that don't need to be there, so if you can just eliminate them and go out and play snooker it makes the game a hell of a lot easier.
"I'm quite aware of that but Dave [Gilbert] had every right to be beating me as well. Dave's a classy cueist, hits the ball unbelievably well and I just had to try to stop him getting into his stride.
"It felt like I broke the back of the match yesterday and I was very focused on hitting home the advantage."
Gilbert: Nothing to feel too bad about
Gilbert's defeat means he can no longer re-enter the world's top 16, with four-time world champion Higgins clinging on to his spot in the elite group for next season.
World No 21 Gilbert said: "I'd love to get back in the top 16 - I miss it and I feel like I can be a top-16 player. I'll look forward to next season."
On his defeat to Wilson, he added: "It was a very disappointing way to go out because I really believed I could win that game and I had more than enough chances to do so. But good luck to Kyren.
"It's been a great run, [there is] nothing to feel too bad about, I just lost a game of snooker.
"I just want to thank anyone who was in the crowd last night or today. The reception we got when we walked in felt very special and I'll always remember it."
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