Kyren Wilson makes six centuries as he crushes Ding Junhui to reach Tour Championship final

Updated 31/03/2023 at 20:59 GMT

Kyren Wilson is a three-time semi-finalist at the World Championship, one of which he turned into a runner-up spot at the Crucible, and his season is often geared around Sheffield. It appears he is peaking with the World Championship in mind as he powered into the final of the Tour Championship with a demolition of Ding Junhui. Wilson made six centuries in his 10-5 win at the Bonus Arena in Hull.

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Kyren Wilson delivered a performance out of the top drawer to sink Ding Junhui 10-5 and power into the final of the Tour Championship.

The European Masters winner’s form has been trending in the right direction in recent weeks, and he followed his run to the semi-finals of the Players Championship last month by going at least one step further in Hull.

Ding arrived on the back of his win at the Six Red World Championship, but had no answer to the sensational play of his opponent.

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Wilson was red hot in the afternoon session, as four centuries helped him open up a four-frame cushion over Ding.

The advantage was extended to five - with a fifth ton of the match - in the opening frame of the evening at the Bonus Arena in Hull.

Wilson has huge belief in his own abilities, and he played a series of excellent shots in a break of 107 to move 7-2 to the good.

On occasions, Wilson has been guilty of over-thinking things but he was at 17 seconds a shot in the afternoon and that pace of play continued. See ball, hit ball appeared to be the tactical approach.

Ding had the weathered look of a man walking into a storm. Wilson made it 325 unanswered points when making it six centuries for the match with a break of 118 to extend the lead to six frames.

In fairness to Ding, he had not done a lot wrong in the opening 10 frames. He showed the quality he possesses when making a brilliant 113 to stop the rot.

A rare miss from Wilson handed a further chance to Ding, but he left a simple green in the jaws of the pocket and paid a heavy price as his opponent mopped up a run of 81 to get within one frame of victory.

Wilson went into the mid-session interval and promptly parked himself on the practice table, sending a message that the job was not done.

He returned laser-focused after the break and had a chance to equal Stephen Hendry’s record of seven centuries in a match, but broke down on 33.

Ding took advantage of the reprieve to keep the contest alive, being roared on by the crowd after making a break of 84.

The fans were desperate to see a contest, and Ding kept them interested with a break of 66 to take the 14th to cut the gap to 9-5.

It was Wilson’s turn to sit and suffer as he went over half an hour without potting a ball. He never looked flustered, and when the chance came in the 15th he wrapped up the win.

He had another chance to equal Hendry’s record of seven centuries the Scot made in the final of the UK Championship in 1994 - a record for a best-of-19 match - but broke down on 87.

The consolation prize was a spot in Sunday’s final.

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