Kyren Wilson and Anthony McGill invoke memories of epic Crucible clash - ‘Just don’t fluke the green this time’
Published 24/10/2024 at 00:06 GMT+1
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Kyren Wilson and Anthony McGill served up another classic in their third-round clash at the Northern Ireland Open. The pair found themselves embroiled in a final-frame decider for a place in the last 16 that was eerily similar to their epic Crucible semi-final four years ago. Like that day, it was Wilson who prevailed, with the world champion now set to face Stan Moody for a place in the quarters.
Watch: Shades of 2020 World Championship semi-final as Wilson beats McGill in dramatic decider
Video credit: TNT Sports
“Just don’t fluke the green this time.” Those were the words of Anthony McGill to Kyren Wilson when he found himself embroiled in another deciding-frame safety battle on the final, invoking memories of the pair’s epic clash in the semi-finals of the 2020 World Snooker Championship.
Wilson did not fluke the green, but the 4-3 defeat for McGill in the third round of the Northern Ireland Open will still be hard to swallow.
For it was a match in which he had played so well. Up at 98% pot success for a spell after back-to-back centuries to pull 2-1 clear, he will be left wondering how he ended up on the losing end of another titanic tussle.
Bad luck did play its part. Having raced to 50 in the fourth frame, the Scotsman split the pack beautifully off the black only for a red to drift towards the left middle and fall.
A few shots away from 3-1, all of a sudden it was level at 2-2 after a brilliant break from the world champion.
From that point on, the drama nearly rivalled that of their incredible Crucible clash that almost had both in tears.
Wilson moved 3-2 ahead only to miss a golden chance to win 4-2 before a break of 54 in the decider put him in the ascendancy.
Back came McGill. Clearing the colours, things went array when he potted the final yellow and missed an attempted canon on the blue that was lying safe on the side rail.
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‘Don’t know if I can go through this’ – Wilson and McGill in another final-frame green-ball epic
Video credit: TNT Sports
“I don’t know if I can go through this again,” Wilson joked to his opponent as he approached the table after McGill had potted the white when trying to play safe off the green.
Another battle on the same ball that proved decisive in the biggest match of their respective careers four years ago.
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“I don’t know what it is but it just seems to happen when I play Ant, I don’t know why,” Wilson told Eurosport in the immediate aftermath.
“It was so similar [to the 2020 World Championship semi-final] wasn’t it, because I turned to Ant because he landed [awkwardly] on the green when he looked like he had a chance to clear-up.
“It was tough from where he was but when he landed on the green, instantly I’m thinking, ‘Aw here we go’ because it’s going to be a safety battle.
“I said to him, ‘I don’t know if I’m ready for this, I’ve not got over the last time it happened’ and he said, ‘Just don’t fluke the green this time’.”
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‘It was so similar’ – Wilson compares latest McGill epic to 2020 World Championship clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Both would have been worthy winners but it was hard not to feel for McGill, who has fallen well outside the world’s top 16 and was eyeing a strong run in Belfast.
But, in the same breath, Wilson deserves immense credit for coming through a second successive decider.
Having let a couple of match-winning chances slip, Wilson came up with two incredible snookers under pressure that earned him victory and a deserved spot in the next round.
It was another reminder of the fine margins at the highest level, and while he is often lauded for his silky cue action, 'The Warrior' has developed a knack of ensuring he ends up on the right side of such encounters more often than not.
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Stream the Northern Ireland Open live on Eurosport and discovery+
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