4 hours Ago By [email protected] (Mark Whiley)
Kyren Wilson and Anthony McGill are set for a repeat of their unforgettable World Championship semi-final, which left the former in tears. The duo will go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of the German Masters on Friday, four-and-a-half years on from their meeting in the last four at the Crucible. It is a match regarded as one of the most dramatic and bizarre in the tournament’s storied history.
Back at the 2020 showpiece, which wasn’t played until August due to the pandemic, the match went to a final-frame decider after being locked at 16-16. The fortunes of both players fluctuated during a frame which lasted more than hour. Scottish qualifier McGill conceded 35 points as he missed a snooker eight times before Wilson went in-off twice.
He then fluked a green with an intended safety shot. At that point the emotion of the occasion overwhelmed the Warrior, who apologised to his opponent with tears in his eyes. After composing himself, Wilson went on to wrap up the frame after another tense safety exchange.
On BBC commentary, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry called it “the most bizarre end to a World Championship match I've seen". A dumfounded Wilson, who lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final, called it a “cruel game”. He said: “I've dreamt of this moment but I didn't want to get there like this.
I held myself together right up until the end of that decider. It's just mad what can happen on a snooker table. "I felt like it was one of the best semi-finals ever at the Crucible.
I felt it was such a good standard, I'm just annoyed that it ended that way." A gutted McGill added: "I don't feel as though I have done anything wrong. I feel like it has been stolen from me, not by Kyren but by the snooker gods.
" In Berlin, Wilson is both the favourite to beat McGill and to win the tournament overall following the exit of world No.1 Judd Trump, who was knocked out by Neil Robertson. O'Sullivan, meanwhile, withdrew on medical grounds before the action got underway.
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