'I'm sick and tired of seeing the same faces' - Kyren Wilson on match table controversy at English Open
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Published 01/11/2021 at 18:58 GMT
Kyren Wilson feels he is deserving of more time on the match table. He told Dave Hendon after his match against Noppon Saengkham that he was sick and tired of seeing the same faces on the match table and suggested he might play naked to get more exposure. However, rival Judd Trump has told him to start winning tournaments first. Stream the English Open live and on demand on discovery+
‘The game needs to let new characters come through’ – Wilson hits out at perceived lack of exposure
Kyren Wilson says he is sick and tired of seeing the same faces on the match table.
The world number five was speaking to Dave Hendon after his 4-0 win against Noppon Saengkham in the first round of the English Open. The Kettering cueist was on table 2 at 10:00 on the first day of play, and in an out-spoken interview after his match, he told Dave Hendon of his frustrations.
“I just want a bit of time on table one, to be honest, Dave,” began the four-time ranking event winner.
“I feel like I can't remember the last time I played on television. So yeah, it would be nice to rack up that experience again. And I feel like as a world number five, I'd like to be on there a little bit more.
Asked whether his lack of time on the main table bothered him, Wilson was emphatic.
Yeah, I'm sick and tired of seeing the same faces all the time. I feel like I've done enough to warrant being on table one.
"And, you know, the game needs to sort of let new characters come through.
The 29-year-old then joked that he might go to extreme lengths to secure the sought-after spot on the main table.
I might start playing snooker naked – that might start getting me on table 1 a little bit more.
Wilson’s comments were put to Judd Trump after his 4-1 win over Matthew Selt later in the day on Monday. However, the world number one had limited sympathy.
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‘You have to earn it!’ - Judd Trump responds to Kyren Wilson ‘naked’ jibe
“I was in his position for eight or nine years until I became world champion and won all the events,” began Trump.
“I was doing exactly what he was doing. And I felt like I was hard done by Ronnie [O’Sullivan], Mark Selby and everyone who was on that match table. I'd be the player on table three at the back.
You have to earn it, you've got to win the world championship, you got to be number one, you have to get up there.
“Otherwise, you're kind of relying on the other players not playing at the same time as you. So unless he wins the big events, he's not probably going to be there.”
Trump began the defence of his title with a resounding 4-1 win against Selt in the early afternoon but it was a less straightforward affair for world champion Mark Selby, who beat amateur Sanderson Lam 4-2.
Shaun Murphy survived a scare as he came from 3-2 down to beat Duane Jones.
Murphy started with an 89 break but then fell behind and needed back-to-back half-century breaks to secure a comeback victory.
Yan Bingtao eased to a 4-1 win over Aaron Hill while Stuart Bingham made three half-century breaks in a 4-1 victory over Ng On Yee.
Later on Monday, Six-time world champion O’Sullivan will make a first appearance since his shock whitewash to Hossein Vafaei at the German Masters, but Mark Williams misses out after testing positive for Covid.
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