It's time for Kyren to 'grow up'

Kyren Wilson is adamant he needs to '˜grow up' if he is to consistently reach the business end of tournaments after being humbled by Noppon Saengkham at the ManBetX Welsh Open.
Kyren WilsonKyren Wilson
Kyren Wilson

The Kettering cueman crashed to a 4-0 defeat in Cardiff against a Thai opponent he was expected to breeze past, faltering in his bid for the quarter-finals.

Saengkham had already beaten world No.3 Judd Trump en route to the last 16 but Wilson was left cursing his own failings in the Motorpoint Arena.

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Earlier the Masters finalist had beaten James Wattana but his preparations for two games in one day were far from ideal, something Wilson feels me must improve.

“I just need to grow up really. I’m doing too many things wrong,” he said.

“I had an hour’s sleep before this game and don’t even know why I did.

“I was so flat because of that and my performance showed it. Noppon’s a great player and a really nice lad but I want to be on the top tables and I know I need to win to get there.

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“I’m playing really well. I had four centuries in the early rounds here.

“The form is obviously there but it’s just not good enough in every match. I have to be consistent in these tournaments to go far.”

Saengkham’s run of form has come largely out of the blue, despite victory over Trump, now dropping just five frames in his first four matches of the tournament.

Neither player made even a half-century break in the whole contest but it was Wilson who struggled more to put any serious points on the board.

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The first frame was Saengkham’s most confident and the widest margin of victory, taking it 71-28.

The margin would be closed but the 26-year-old only managed 23 points in the second frame and from there it was a procession for the world No.58.

But Wilson was also left disappointed at missing out on the spotlight for the fourth-round match, with Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins among those selected for the Eurosport TV tables, understandably drawing the crowds and the atmosphere in the Motorpoint Arena.

“It was just absolute garbage to be honest,” added Wilson, who has reached the finals of the World Open and English Open this season.

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“It’s boring constantly being on back tables and all that sort of stuff.

“There’s just no atmosphere out there and it’s really hard to get motivated for it. I think that suited my opponent more than me.”

Watch the Welsh Open LIVE on Eurosport, Eurosport Player and Quest with Andy Goldstein and analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds