Snooker championship: Gary Wilson’s outburst overshadows O’Sullivan’s win

MANCHESTER: English snooker player Gary Wilson’s emotional outburst during the 2024 Tour Championship semi-final overshadowed Ronnie O’Sullivan’s win on Friday.

The English player’s frustration peaked after a critical mistake in the fifth round, leading him to repeatedly slam his cue onto the ground, surprising spectators.

Wilson is famous for his competitive spirit in the snooker world. The Englishman had been hoping to build upon his recent victories where he won two events by a wide margin during the tournament.

However, facing off against a seven-time world champion proved challenging for the Gary Wilson. His opponent is regarded as one of snooker’s greatest players of all time.

Despite Wilson initially holding a lead in the match, O’Sullivan’s tactical approach and strategic play quickly shifted the match in his favour.

The much-talked-about moment occurred when Wilson missed a critical shot, causing him to lash out in frustration. The audience audibly reacted to Wilson’s display of anger as he struggled to regain his composure.

Meanwhile, this provided O’Sullivan with an opportunity to capitalise on the situation. The seven-time world champion won the the match and clinched a spot in the Tour Championship final.

O’Sullivan won the match by recording “three century breaks” – scoring 100 points or more in a single visit to the table. He bounced back from being behind 2-0 to taking a 4-2 lead.

Despite Wilson’s strong play, managing to tie the score at 7-7 with consecutive runs, O’Sullivan maintained the lead by winning the final three rounds called ‘frames’.

Later, O’Sullivan described the match with Wilson as a “good match to be involved in.” The victory also marked O’Sullivan’s third appearance in the Tour Championship final.

The 2024 Tour Championship is a snooker event that began on April 1 and will culminate with finals on April 7. the championship is being in Manchester, England. The event was organised by the World Snooker Tour with a total prize earnings of £500,000. The winner, however, will only take home £150,000.

This year’s championship deviated from the norm by expanding the players list. The tournament decided to include twelve players instead of the traditional eight. Interestingly, the previous year’s champion could not qualify for the this 2024 Tour Championship.