GRUDGE MATCH!

McGill: ‘I’ve waited 13 years to get my revenge on Wilson’

ANTHONY McGILL has been angling for revenge over Kyren Wilson since he was 13 – and got off to a flier in their Crucible semi-final.

The 29-year-old from Glasgow has had to shoulder the comparisons with Scottish greats Stephen Hendry, John Higgins and Graeme Dott as he has made his way.

But world No.39 McGill is now starting to generate his own history. Getting down to the final four represents his best-ever run at the Betfred World Championship in Sheffield.

He has dodged five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and three-time winner Mark Selby, bashing each other up in the other semi-final.

And McGill surged into an early 6-2 lead on world No.8 and former German Masters champion Wilson (inset) – one of the fiercest competitors around. McGill (above), who practises with John Higgins and Stephen Maguire, did not pick Wilson as the one to watch as a junior.

He said: “I remember me and Kyren turning professional the same year.

“It was in a PIOS Series, I think I came fifth maybe and he finished fourth and we both got on tour. “But it goes back further even than that as juniors. I can remember clearly the first time I played Kyren. It was in a tournament in Coalville, a small town in Leicestershire. “We played in a plate competition for first-round losers, I think I was 13.

“It was the plate semi-final and he beat me 2-1.

“No disrespect at all, but of the England juniors at that time I wouldn’t have put Kyren as the best of the best of the group.

“He was in the bracket but not the best. Maybe Jack Lisowski and Michael White of Wales were more touted at that time. But Kyren has done the best out of them.

“The achievements of Stephen [Hendry] and John [Higgins] have been raised with me all my career – but it just isn’t an issue. They are two of the best players in history.

“I don’t see myself in that league.

“If I was a different person, cocky and more arrogant, I would go round saying I was as good as them. But I have never done.”

McGill knocked in breaks of 83, 78, 53, 69 and 92.

Meanwhile today is D-Day on whether a reduced-capacity crowd will be allowed for the showpiece.

Boris Johnson shut down the Crucible until at least August 15 after only one day of a pilot event. That left a window for the last day and the trophy presentation.

But time is running out and with several government departments discussing the issue this week, hopes look to be fading – with at least 24 hours needed to let fans know and arrange security.