Brilliant Kyren storms into the Players Championship semi-finals

Kettering’s Kyren Wilson produced a superb display to break his quarter-final hoodoo this season as he beat Neil Robertson 6-2 to move into the last four at the Cazoo Players Championship.

The world no.5 was in fine form as he opened up with a break of 130 before racing into a 3-1 lead in Milton Keynes.

Robertson hit back with back-to-back frames but breaks of 95 and 126 put Wilson in control and he was even on for a maximum 147 break in what proved to be the final frame before it broke down with 10 reds and 10 blacks on the board.

In the end, that break of 80 proved to be enough to wrap things up and Wilson was understandably pleased with his display having failed to win a last-eight match on seven occasions this season.

“You have to put in those performances to beat the class acts like Neil,” Wilson told ITV4.

“When I felt I was over the line in the match, I lost a little bit of concentration on the black and playing for the red in the middle because you are still partly focused on winning the frame and winning the match.

“I lost a bit of focus on that black and tried my best for the cut back red and nearly potted it.

“I have been playing at this standard all season really. Like I have said many times, I am coming up against the likes of your Neil Robertsons in the quarter-finals and I am falling at those hurdles.

“You have to keep putting yourself in that position and just try your best to get over that hurdle and I was delighted to do that today.”

The Kettering star will now play either Mark Selby or John Higgins in the semi-finals on Saturday night as the two former world champions go head-to-head in the last eight tomorrow afternoon.

And Wilson added: “It doesn’t get any easier does it?

“That’s why I always enjoy being part of these ITV events, every match could potentially warrant a final and they are both legends of the game.

“For me, it’s always an honour to play these guys and try to learn off them in the meantime.”