Kettering’s Kyren fires a World Championship warning after missing out on title glory

The Kettering star produced some of the best snooker of his career as he made it through to the final of the Duelbits Tour Championship in Hull.

But, despite taking a 4-0 lead in the final against Shaun Murphy, the former Irthlingborough man fought back and captured the silverware with a 10-7 success.

Victory would have given Wilson the biggest title of his career and first in a televised ranking event in the UK.

‘The Warrior’ made six centuries during his semi-final against Ding Junhui and started the final at the same blistering pace but was outplayed for the remainder of the contest.

Nonetheless, he banked £60,000 as the runner-up and remains seventh in the world rankings as the focus now turns to the Crucible.

Wilson had revealed during the week that his youngest son Bailey had been suffering from illness over the past couple of months.

It meant practice for the Tour Championship, which is for the top-eight players on the one-year ranking list, had been pretty much non-existent.

After sharing the first session on Sunday, Wilson took the opening frame in the evening with a break of 59 before Murphy responded with a 131.

A run of 52 helped Wilson edge 6-5 ahead and he had a chance to double his lead in frame 12, but Murphy stole it on the final black to square the tie again.

Frame 13 also came down to the colours and Murphy sealed it with a cracking long pot on the final brown to lead for the first time at 7-6.

A superb 115 kept his momentum going, then Wilson showed spirit to pull one back with an excellent run of 60.

In frame 16, Murphy fired in a trademark long red to start a break of 95 which brought him to the brink at 9-7.

Wilson had the first chance in frame 17 but made only 13. Murphy replied with 39 before running out of position, but then got the better of a safety exchange, forcing his opponent into a risky long red which missed its target. The Magician added 22 which proved enough.

And Wilson admitted there were key moments that went against him in the final before issuing his warning shot ahead of the World Championship, which begins on April 15.

“There are two frames which stick out,” he said.

“I felt I was unlucky not to go 5-3 up as I had Shaun in all sorts of trouble (in a snooker on the last red in frame eight) but he made an incredible escape and put me in trouble.

“I was disappointed not to be ahead at the end of the first session.

“And I missed a tricky red when I had a chance to go 7-5 up. Those are big frames and you need to take those chances against someone of Shaun’s class.

“It has been a tough time recently for my family so it has been great to have them up here with me this week.

“I had no practice coming into this event so it was a huge bonus to get to the final.

“Look out for me at the Crucible when I have some prep behind me.”