‘Silly things can happen’

Published 16/12/2023 at 19:36 GMT

In dramatic scenes at the Meadowbank Sports Centre on Saturday afternoon, Gary Wilson beat Zhou Yuelong on a respotted black to reach the final and keep his title defence alive. Wilson felt he was beaten when needing snookers in the final frame. Stream top snooker action, including the Scottish Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at Eurosport.com.

‘Over the moon’ – Wilson thrilled with win over Zhou on respotted black at Scottish Open

The defending champion looked on his way home as he trailed 5-3 in the race to six in Edinburgh.

Wilson won frames nine and 10 to force a decider, but a break of 69 had Zhou in command.

Zhou potted a green and celebrated with a fist pump, as it left Wilson needing three four-point snookers – or one on the brown and one on the blue to force a respot.

That was what Wilson achieved before potting blue, pink and black to take the contest to a respot.

There were 17 shots in the dramatic finale, and Wilson let out a huge roar of delight when potting the black to right middle.

Wilson has admitted he played on more in hope than expectation when needing snookers to keep the match alive.

“It happens once in a blue moon the amount of times you play matches like that where you think you have lost,” Wilson said in the Eurosport studio. “You are always trying, always hoping but deep down you kind of know you’ve lost.

“Every now and again something silly happens.

“You could tell at the end I was absolutely over the moon to finally get something to go my way.”

Zhou cut a despondent figure at the end of the match, and Wilson hoped a lesson was learned.

On Zhou’s premature celebration, Wilson said: “We have all done it once in our careers, and never again, and maybe that’s the time he will never count his chickens until he is really, really over the line.

“Silly things can happen. What a sport.”

‘What a finish’ – Wilson beats Zhou on a respotted black to reach Scottish Open final

On his beaten opponent, Wilson added: “I really respect Yuelong’s composure.

”I was really impressed with how he was just going and going and going, and holding himself together.

“He is a phenomenal player, a very solid player. I don’t think I deserved to win today, but I want to give myself a pat on the back for that final frame.

“In this game, for some of us you seem to have to have quite a few of them (tough losses) before you get a win. It was the same for me, and it might be the same for him.”

Stream top snooker action, including the Scottish Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at Eurosport.com.

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