Sunday, December 29, 2024

UK Championship: Kyren Wilson sweeps past Stephen Maguire to move into round two

Must read

In the opening frames, Wilson appeared to be struggling and he later revealed he had woken up with a migraine.

“In the first frame I hit a 60 and Stephen could tie the frame and as I went back to my seat I felt a pulsation and it was really strong around the top of my head,” said Wilson.

“It felt like my head was going to explode. It was something I had to overcome and thankfully my brother got me some headache tablets and I was able to get it under control.”

For Wilson, this was his first match at a Triple Crown event since his success at the Crucible in May and he admitted being introduced as the world champion and the crowd’s reaction gave him “goosebumps”.

“I’ve been dreaming of being world champion since I was six,” he added. “Since lifting that silver lady [on the top of the trophy] I’ve made an effort to not only enjoy it but also use it as a catalyst to really kickstart my career.

“The BBC events have that little bit of excitement factor and this is the first one since becoming world champion. It was an amazing entry into the arena and I really enjoyed it.”

Meanwhile, 43-year-old Scotsman Maguire, ranked 33rd in the world, was left wondering his next moves after the defeat.

“I either think of what I’m doing in this game or I push forwards and do some hard graft,” he said. “Everything is a bit of a blur from the second frame onwards. That was poor, there’s no other words.

“I still despise getting beaten, but I also despise playing like that. There’s getting beaten and there’s not showing up. For me to enjoy it, I need to play well and be competitive. I will just go back to the practice table and do work.

“I was nervous, and mad at myself for being nervous.”

Latest article