Kyren Wilson won the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, beating Judd Trump 9-3 to lift the Alex Higgins Trophy and £100,000 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. “It’s good for the future of snooker,” says ‘The Warrior’ Wilson.
Last update: October 27, 2024 9:27 PM
Kyren Wilson beat Judd Trump to claim the Northern Ireland Open title.
World champion Kyren Wilson won the Northern Ireland Open with a 9-3 win over world number one Judd Trump.
Wilson led 7-1 in the opening session at the Waterfront Hall and cruised to a comprehensive victory in ideal fashion with his only century in a surprisingly one-sided contest.
“I feel like all I’m missing today is 100 years, so today was the icing on the cake,” Wilson said. Eurosport.
“It’s encouraging what Judd has achieved recently. To be as dominant as he has on tour these days is truly amazing and I don’t know where he gets his fitness from.
“He has improved my game and we can’t always rely on the Class of ’92 (Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams) so I’m delighted to be able to work with him. Beating him is good for the future of snooker. It’s work.”
Breaks of 58, 81, 77, 77 and 88 helped Wilson achieve a dream 6-0 lead.
The seventh frame came down to a battle of safety on Brown, with Wilson clearing Black to secure a 7-0 advantage.
Trump summoned a challenging 83 points to give him a glimmer of hope.
Trump hit his 143rd century in the 11th frame to keep his hopes alive, but Wilson smashed 119 to seal victory in style.
Wilson revealed that his mother Sonya, who had recently recovered from breast cancer, was in Belfast to watch him win, adding: “We found out about the World Championships and it was amazing she won and we spent a week afterwards “he added. It’s great here.
“She loved it this week.”
Judd Trump suffered a surprise loss to Wilson
Defending champion Trump, who was seeking a record fifth win in the event, acknowledged Wilson was the worthy winner.
“I think Kieren was definitely very good today,” Trump said.
“The way he bounced back after winning the World Championships is encouraging. It’s great to see someone who can start and hopefully we can have more fights in the future.”
Crucible king Wilson defeated Jak Jones 18-14 to become world champion for the first time.
‘The Warrior’ won his 7th ranking title by defeating Trump 10-8 in the final of the 1st Xi’an Grand Prix.
And a dominant opening session helped him score another big win over ‘The Ace in the Pack’ Trump.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app. This will give Sky Sports customers access to over 50% more live sport at no extra cost this year. Stream the best sports including the new EFL season, Test cricket and more with NOW.
