Kyren Wilson returns to complete his World Snooker Championship semi-final against David Gilbert and is on the brink of a second appearance in the final at the Crucible after winning five frames on the bounce on Friday to surge into a 14-10 overnight lead – just three frames away from victory.
The duo started Friday level at 4-4 with Gilbert the slightly happier of the two having scored the higher breaks including a century of 105 in the fourth frame. He continued that form with two more centuries on Friday morning but could only hang with Wilson who repeatedly went in front and was reined in. The match remained in the balance at 8-8 ahead of the evening resumption.
And, after splitting the opening two frames of the night, Wilson powered clear, capitalising on an error-prone and increasingly nervy Gilbert, who struggled for fluency and form. Despite not yet recording a century in the match, the 2020 runner-up scored solidly throughout, with only an excellent 101 in the final frame preserving Gilbert’s fading hopes of making the final.
The other last-four encounter is a much grittier affair than the relatively free-flowing contest between Wilson and Gilbert. It has been tough sledding between Stuart Bingham and Jak Jones who were unable to be separated after the first two sessions before Welshman Jones pulled into a 13-10 lead with five frames on the spin on Saturday morning. The duo were pulled off a frame early due to slow play but 2015 world champion Bingham did win the final frame of the morning with a century break to move just three behind going into the final session at 7pm this evening.
Follow all the action from the World Snooker Championship below, and get the latest predictions and odds here:
Kyren Wilson 14-11 David Gilbert
What has Kyren Wilson done there?! Gilbert pots the remaining reds but makes a mess of his counting and now needs two four-point snookers. He tucks Wilson up behind the blue and Wilson fouls while trying to get out of the snooker!
That’s five penalty points to Gilbert and he can now tie in this frame! He trails 55-28 with 27 points (all the remaining colours) on the table.
But Wilson pulls out a long pot on the yellow, so it’s back to snookers required
Luke Baker4 May 2024 15:29
Kyren Wilson 14-11 David Gilbert
Gilbert wins the safety battle and is able to pot a red but he’s left with a tricky brown which rattles the jaws of the corner pocket. That miss means he now needs snookers in this frame, 53 points behind with only 51 remaining.
Reds are tied up on the side cushion as well, so this is an uphill struggle for Gilbert but he’ll battle on in this frame. Great safety shot! Gilbert uses one red to knock the other two off the cushion and gets the snooker behind the yellow!
Luke Baker4 May 2024 15:23
Kyren Wilson 14-11 David Gilbert
Gilbert pushes the boat out too far. He wins the safety battle and pots a red but then takes on a mrid-range black to the corner pocket, trying to squeeze it past another red. The pot isn’t really on, it clips the red and misses the pocket.
Wilson left in among the balls and should win the frame from here. Pots a couple of balls and then misses a red, so his lead is 55-1. Still in control of the frame but not quite won yet as we enter another safety battle
Luke Baker4 May 2024 15:13
Kyren Wilson 14-11 David Gilbert
Eventually Wilson’s luck runs out. He tries a cannon but runs out of position relying to land on the black and is left without a pot. It’s a handy 47-0 lead but there’s still plenty of points available for Gilbert.
Wilson puts the green ball safe on the side cushion with his safety shot to ensure an added hurdle should Gilbert try to counter-clear
Luke Baker4 May 2024 15:03
Kyren Wilson 14-11 David Gilbert
Wilson running out of position at points in this break but each pot is still finding the heart of the pocket. He’s forced to take the brown ball a couple of times but he steadily builds a lead regardless, passing 25 in the break.
Luke Baker4 May 2024 14:59
Kyren Wilson 14-11 David Gilbert
A big shot for Gilbert to take on – a thin cut on a red to the right corner – and it rattles the jaws but stays out. The cue ball runs up into baulk but leaves an easy starting red for Wilson and there are at least five or six reds in the open here.
He will look to build a lead in frame 26.
Luke Baker4 May 2024 14:57
FRAME! Kyren Wilson 14-11 David Gilbert
Exactly what Gilbert needed – a calm, composed break of 70 and he takes his chance to narrow the gap. Superb play by ‘the Angry Farmer’. He’s still alive in this match you know…
David Gilbert wins the first frame of the evening to move three behind a 14-11.
Luke Baker4 May 2024 14:51
Kyren Wilson 14-10 David Gilbert
NO HE CAN’T! Wilson misses a black off the spot on 25 and also splits the pack of reds open so Gilbert returns to the table with a great chance of winning this frame from here.
He trails 25-15 but the balls are there for a big contribution.
Luke Baker4 May 2024 14:47
Kyren Wilson 14-10 David Gilbert
What a fluke! David Gilbert was up out of his chair ready to pounce when Kyren Wilson missed a red on 16 but it flicked off the white and dropped in the opposite corner. Gutting for Gilbert.
Can Kyren really punish him and win the frame at this visit now?
Luke Baker4 May 2024 14:46
Kyren Wilson 14-10 David Gilbert
A couple of cracking pots from Gilbert, including a frankly ridiculous long red up into the green pocket rolled in dead weight, but eventually just a safety left and he exits the table after a break of 15.
Luke Baker4 May 2024 14:41