Gary’s feeling good despite Crucible exit
WALLSEND’S Gary Wilson is confident he can perform even better at the Crucible in future after running five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan all the way in his 10-7 first-round defeat.
Wilson fought back from 5-1 down on Saturday and struck two centuries as he recovered from a 9-5 deficit against the Rocket in his first appearance at the Betfred World Championships.
Ahead 9-7, O’Sullivan took his chance to seal the match with a break of 90 and booked a second round tie against either Shaun Murphy or Yan Bingtao, on Thursday.
But debutant Wilson revealed he felt relaxed in the intimate surroundings of Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, and was proud of the fight he displayed.
“I felt comfortable here, you don’t know how you’re going to feel when you come to the Crucible and I felt good from frame one. It gives me confidence that if I come back again I can possibly do well,” he said.
“I was thinking don’t worry about the scoreline, just keep enjoying every frame as best you can, try your best and see where it gets you.
“I’m just happy to keep digging in and show what I’m capable of, showing I’ve got fighting spirit and I’m not just going to lie down and let him walk all over me.
“Obviously I’m a little bit disappointed because as you get closer, you think you have a good chance of winning, but he played well to be fair.”
The Rocket rolled in two half centuries to win the opening two frames, and made 58 and 63 to finish off the third before Wilson got on the board.
O’Sullivan then struck 122 to restore his three-frame advantage before winning on a re-spotted black to get 5-1 ahead, but breaks of 64 and 63 saw the battling qualifier claw two frames back.
Down 6-4, Wilson, who came through qualifying to reach the first round proper, made a century but the Rocket smashed in 124 and 74 back-to-back, to take an 8-5 lead. A clearance of 83 took O’Sullivan 9-5 up only for Wilson to keep the game alive before his second century made it 9-7, but there was nothing he could do to stop the Rocket eventually getting over the line.
■ Watch the Snooker World Championship Live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player, with Colin Murray and analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds