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World Snooker Championship: Kyren Wilson jokes he’ll always be No 2 to ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans in Kettering | Snooker News
Jody
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New World Snooker Champion Kyren Wilson speaks to Sky Sports News about his journey to become a winner at the Crucible Theatre, why he wants to become world No 1, and his friendship with darts player ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans
Last Updated: 08/05/24 2:26pm
![Kyren Wilson says he's still No 2 to the most famous sportsperson in Kettering 'Rapid' Ricky Evans](https://e1.365dm.com/24/05/768x432/skysports-kyren-wilson-ricky-evans_6547294.jpg?20240508131305)
Kyren Wilson says he’s still No 2 to the most famous sportsperson in Kettering ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans
New World Snooker Champion Kyren Wilson talks about his journey to an emotional victory at the Crucible Theatre, why he wants to become world No 1 and his friendship with darts player ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans.
Wilson landed his first World Snooker Championship title with an 18-14 victory over dogged qualifier Jak Jones at the Crucible on Monday.
His win was a long time coming for 32-year-old Wilson, who was twice previously runner-up in Sheffield and at the Masters, but had struggled to make the big-time breakthrough that many believed his prodigious talent was due.
![Wilson beat Jak Jones to win the World Snooker Championship](https://e0.365dm.com/24/05/768x432/skysports-kyren-wilson-snooker_6547253.jpg?20240508124721)
Wilson beat Jak Jones to win the World Snooker Championship
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Wilson, who goes by the moniker ‘The Warrior. “My phone has been non-stop and I think it will take some time to sink in.
“Hats off to Jak, he really pushed me the whole way but I just feel as if I needed to keep my emotions under wraps. I had to keep myself nice and composed the whole time and the only way I was going to lose the final was if I capitulated emotionally, but I managed to hold myself together really well.”
Wilson’s route to the top of the sport has been far from serene.
He spent two years consigned to the amateur ranks after an unsuccessful first season on the tour, and considered it his last chance when he got another crack among the professionals in 2013.
His major breakthrough came when he fought through three qualifying rounds to reach and win the Shanghai Masters, becoming the lowest player in a decade to win a ranking tournament, but despite ascending to the world’s top 16, the expected haul of titles have been slow in coming.
“My mum and dad have totally sacrificed their lives the whole time,” explained Wilson. “They’ve re-mortgaged the house a number of times.
“They bought a derelict house that hadn’t been lived in for 40 years just because they had the potential to build a snooker room at the back, so it was a beautiful moment to have them down and celebrate this win with me. It makes all the blood, sweat and tears worth the while.”
Wilson says he is looking forward to the prospect of every moment on the tour next year where he has a target of becoming world No 1.
“That world number one spot is something that I would love to tick off but it’s beautiful that I’m now a part of history. The fascinating thing for me has been looking at the number of names who have won this trophy since 1925-26. It’s got such a long history and obviously my name is going to go on there,” said Wilson.
“I said I wouldn’t be happy if I had just won one throughout my career. I’m 32 now and I’m coming into my prime so now I’ve got the first one out the way, which I believe is the hardest one to win, hopefully there will be many more.”
![Sky Sports' Cam Hogwood explains how the Snooker World Championship could be set to move from the tournament's iconic Crucible](https://e0.365dm.com/24/04/768x432/skysports-snooker-worldchampionship_6533429.jpg)
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Sky Sports’ Cam Hogwood explains how the Snooker World Championship could be set to move from the tournament’s iconic Crucible
And on the future of the Crucible, Wilson says he hopes ‘it never moves’ from the Sheffield, despite a capacity of just under 1,000.
He said: “It literally is in the writing, it is pure theatre in there, it’s so intense, so compact, the atmosphere is like no other.
“You can’t create the same intensity in a big, vast venue but I understand why there’s talks of it because there’s a massive demand for snooker at the moment in all parts of the world.
“It’s a great position for the game to be in, but for me it was so important to make sure that I lifted it this year because if I ever got the chance to lift this trophy and it wasn’t at the Crucible, for me, I don’t think it would have quiet the same effect.”
![Take a look at some of Ricky Evans' best and funniest moments at the World Darts Championship](https://e1.365dm.com/22/11/768x432/skysports-evans-darts-world-championship_5980601.jpg)
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Take a look at some of Ricky Evans’ best and funniest moments at the World Darts Championship
Wilson is close friends with darts star and fellow Kettering native, Evans, the fastest player on the PDC Tour.
Evans, who reached the semi-final of the UK Open this season, is known for his flamboyant outfits and walk-on music.
“It would have been great to walk out to the YMCA at the Crucible but I don’t think it would have had quite the same impact that maybe a darts player can have,” Wilson said with a smile.
“One of the reporters asked me this week whether I would overtake ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans as the number one most famous sportsperson in Kettering, but again, I still think I’m number two to the most famous darts player in Kettering.”
Kyren Wilson played former world champion Peter Ebdon in a charity pool match at age of six. After clearing the balls from Ebdon’s break-off, Ebdon told Wilson’s parents that he had the talent for a career in snooker
Wilson’s first stint on the World Snooker Tour lasted just one year before he lost his place after failing to win a main-draw match. He had to wait three years before returning to the professional game, but claimed a win over Jones at Q School in 2011
Wilson won his first ranking title in 2015 when he fought through three rounds of qualifying before winning the Shanghai Masters. Then ranked 54th in the world, Wilson’s 9-8 victory over Judd Trump made him the lowest ranked player to win a ranking title in 10 years
Wilson is a Chelsea supporter and says a message he received from former Blues star Gianfranco Zola during one of his World Championship campaigns – which he has framed in his house – is a prized possession
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