Kettering's Kyren progresses in Championship League Snooker

Kyren Wilson beat former world champion Mark Williams to move into the Winners' Group
Kyren Wilson is through to the Winners' Group of the BetVictor Championship League Snooker. Picture courtesy of World Snooker Tour (WST)Kyren Wilson is through to the Winners' Group of the BetVictor Championship League Snooker. Picture courtesy of World Snooker Tour (WST)
Kyren Wilson is through to the Winners' Group of the BetVictor Championship League Snooker. Picture courtesy of World Snooker Tour (WST)

Kettering snooker star Kyren Wilson has advanced to the Winners' Group of BetVictor Championship League Snooker at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes.

'The Warrior' beat Mark Williams 3-2 in the deciding frame of the Group Five final yesterday (Thursday) to ensure he will return on April 1 and 2, where he will join Zhou Yuelong, John Higgins, Graeme Dott, Judd Trump and the winners of the final two groups, to battle it out for the title and a place in November’s Champion of Champions.

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Wilson beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 3-2 in his semi-final, winning from 2-1 down with breaks of 128 and 132 while Williams defeated Ali Carter 3-1 in his semi-final, having beaten O’Sullivan in his final group match to take fourth in the group table.

The Welshman took the first two frames of the final with breaks of 82 and 60, but Wilson hit back with 78 in the third and an 83 in the fourth, to force the decider.

The fifth frame was the longest of the final, at just over 30 minutes, but Wilson eventually got the crucial red he required to put Williams out of sight.

“I put all of my effort into today and I finished off with three 3-2s,” said Wilson, who won the ranking event version of BetVictor Championship League Snooker last autumn.

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“It has been a tough couple of groups so I’m delighted to get into the Winners’ Group. I have played O’Sullivan in a lot of big matches, so I know what it takes to beat him and I had to produce back-to-back tons after his centuries. That is the standard you have to reach to beat these legends of the game and I’m pleased that I managed to achieve that today.

“We are lucky to have snooker on at the moment and these tournaments are fantastic. I enjoy the set up, it is relaxed but with a bit of pressure with the money and Champion of Champions potential at the end of it.”

BetVictor Championship League Snooker sees 25 of the game’s elite players compete for their share of a total prize pot of up to £205,000.