Kyren Wilson claimed his biggest success for almost four years by winning the European Masters and a third ranking title in Germany on Sunday night, and later admitted he was very happy to “win ugly”.
The 30-year-old from Kettering thrashed Kent’s Barry Hawkins 9-3 at the Stadthalle in Furth to pocket the £80,000 first prize.
The victory saw world number eight Wilson claim the first major title of the new season and strike for the first time in a longer format tournament since the German Masters in early 2019. Since then Wilson had tasted victory twice in the low-key best-of-five frame Championship League but this marked a return to the winner’s circle on a higher-profile stage.
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It represented a fifth ranking-event success in all for Wilson - and having been runner-up at both the World Championship and the Masters, he is keen to start establishing a legacy in the bigger tournaments. And it also gets him into the prestigious Champion of Champions line-up at the end of October, and may yet act as a real springboard for the rest of the season.
In what was a low-quality final with few fireworks, Wilson managed to lift the trophy with a high-break of just a mere 56. But an off-colour Hawkins, 43, was simply unable to punish him or take many of the opportunities that did fall to him.
And that left the Hawk bitterly disappointed with his own display, having prior to the final been the player of the week with eight centuries and wins over Judd Trump and Mark Williams.
Wilson said: “I’d like to get every event played in Germany from now on, I think – I’ll have a quiet word with the chairman of the WPBSA, Jason Ferguson. We had all missed playing at this venue and in front of this crowd. Last time I was here I had my boy Finlay here holding the trophy.
“I was a bit down in the dumps before the event so my dad and his best mate Lee came out and it was like having Del Boy and Rodney on tour. Together with my brother it was the four musketeers, we have had some fun, so this one is for them.
“It was about getting the job done at the end. I played some exceptional snooker all week that gave me a lot of confidence, even though there may not have been the fireworks in the final itself. The conditions were not the easiest in there, it was very humid and I was just happy to win ugly, staying disciplined and come home with the trophy. I had seen the Chelsea result at Leeds before the second session, that wasn’t the best so this has cheered me up.
“These are the kind of big ranking tournaments that I want to win to build a legacy. And coming so early in the season it takes a lot of pressure off, and hopefully I can use it as a springboard.
“You are maybe on more of a free roll, and it does wonders for your confidence getting over the line, it is what it is all about. I have gone close in big tournaments since that German Masters, notably at the World Championship, but been on the end of some great performances.
“I think that is three of my five ranking titles in Germany now, and there are probably reasons for that. We are not too far from home…there are massive crowds all the time, and you are made to feel very welcome by the warmth of the people. They applaud even quite simple pots and that gets the juices flowing, I feel appreciated here.”
Hawkins, who trailed 6-2 after the first session, said: “It was a struggle all day today. It could have been 9-0 today and in some ways I wish it had been. Kyren just picked me off today, and it was a very bad day, terrible. You know it’s a bad day when you are playing for reds that don’t even go.
“But the players love coming here, the German fans are always very enthusiastic. I hope I’ll be back next year although the way I feel right now I never want to play again. I’ll calm down in five minutes.”
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
