Kyren Wilson withdraws from Championship League after Masters victory
Kyren Wilson has pulled out of this week’s Championship League just hours after claiming his maiden Masters crown and banking £350,000 in prize money, reports BritPanorama.
The Warrior, as he’s known on the circuit, clearly wasn’t keen on jumping straight back into competitive action following his emotional triumph at Alexandra Palace on Sunday evening. Oliver Lines stepped in to take Wilson’s spot at the Leicester tournament, joining a strong field that includes Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Stuart Bingham, Xiao Guodong, Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize.
It’s an understandable decision from the newly crowned champion after such an intense week in north London. Wilson’s victory over John Higgins represented a wonderful return to winning ways for the former world champion. The 10-6 triumph came exactly a year after he suffered heartbreak in the final against Shaun Murphy, making this success all the sweeter.
It has been a turbulent period for Wilson, who revealed he came close to a mental breakdown after crashing out in the opening round of the UK Championship just weeks ago. That first-round exit clearly took its toll, but Sunday’s performance showcased the 33-year-old at his battling best against one of snooker’s all-time greats.
Wilson made no secret of just how desperately he wanted this particular trophy, and the emotion poured out after the final ball dropped. “In 2018 I lost in the final and cried and I’m trying not to cry now as it means so much to me,” he said at Ally Pally. He described the contest as “an absolute dogfight” and spoke about channelling his opponent’s famous resilience.
“I never make it easy for myself. I always seem to do it the hard way,” Wilson admitted. “Even if I’m struggling I will fight until the end until I finally get my hands on some silverware.”
Higgins was brutally honest about his own display, refusing to make any excuses after coming up short in the final. “I was just useless,” the Scottish legend said after the match. “Take no credit away, Kyren was by far the better player.” The four-time world champion felt the scoreline actually flattered him, adding, “He was totally dominant – it wasn’t even a 10-6 match.”
It’s a typically gracious response from one of the sport’s most respected figures, who acknowledged that Wilson thoroughly deserved his moment in the spotlight after years of near misses at snooker’s most prestigious invitational event. For Wilson, the path forward will undoubtedly include reflection on a lingering past, even as this very moment marks the pinnacle of his career thus far.
