Wilson wades into the Welsh Open final after taking O’Sullivan into deep waters

by Joe Mansfield

KYREN Wilson came from 4-2 down to force and win a deciding frame against the four-time Welsh Open Champion, Ronnie O’Sullivan.

It was third time lucky for Wilson who has lost his last two contests against O’Sullivan in deciding legs. Wilson found himself trailing behind for most of the game, never in the lead until the winning moment.

During the first frame O’Sullivan let his lead slip as Wilson, nicknamed the Warrior, forced a re-spotted black. Despite the blip, the Rocket moved ahead.

In the second O’Sullivan again streaked ahead before allowing Wilson back into the frame, but he failed to fully capitalise and went two frames down. The Kettering potter was able to put his first frame on the board in the third as he made an elegant break of 94.

O’Sullivan came roaring back with the first century break of the game and restored his two frame advantage. Unwilling to be deterred, Wilson pieced together a break of 64 to keep within reach of the Rocket.

In a bid to dampen the spirits of Wilson, O’Sullivan showed his class as he romped in a break of 125. Testament to the spirit of Wilson, he fought back once more with breaks of 48 and 52 to win the seventh.

Then for the first time since the beginning of the game the Warrior drew level and did so in style. When Wilson was on 56 he misjudged a positional shot, leaving him a tough black.

Faltering here would have given the Rocket a chance to steal the frame. Importantly the black dropped and he went on to make a towering break of 136.

It continued to be tit for tat type game in the following frames with O’Sullivan winning the ninth and Wilson victorious in the tenth. Early in the deciding frame a miscued safety shot from the Rocket gifted Wilson an opportunity, which he took, strangely needing to remove his left shoe for some extra stability. He went on to make a break of 59, putting him 68 points ahead with 59 points remaining.

That meant the four time Welsh Open champion needed three snookers to win but instead he bizarrely conceded the frame without contesting until the game was firmly out of reach.

Wilson will play the winner of tonight’s semi-final between Shaun Murphy and Yan Bingtao.