KYREN WILSON knew he was “off the rails” when he ended up in a stranger’s house following an all-night party.
The Warrior, 32, bottled up a lot of his emotions, positive and negative, when he won a maiden World Snooker title in May following a 18–14 final victory over Jak Jones.
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Kyren Wilson admitted that he went ‘off the rails’ after winning the World Snooker titleCredit: INSTAGRAM
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He ended up at a stranger’s party at 7amCredit: INSTAGRAM
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He won the World Snooker Championship title earlier this yearCredit: PA
It was only when he sobered up in an unknown property after a late-night boozy session did he realise he needed to stop following a destructive path and knuckle down for this season.
Wilson told SunSport: “I was mostly enjoying a few late nights. I did not know when to rein it in and stop celebrating.
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“I knew I had a very, very busy schedule coming up so I wanted to keep celebrating.
“You get that opportunity only once of being a first-time world champion – so I wanted to enjoy it as long as I could.
“I ended up at a few late-night parties. Drinking far too much.
“My wife Sophie turned to me and said: ‘It’s time to rein it in now. Stop searching for the high through alcohol – and instead get that high by winning again.’ “I’ve got my head back in the game now.
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“At one point, I ended up at a house party until 7am and I didn’t even know the person (who owned it). I was there on my own.
“That was a bit of an eye-opening moment – you need to get your life in order.”
Wilson put down the pints and returned to the baize and within weeks, he was lifting silverware again.
Watch Kyren Wilson nail the Ivan Toney snooker shot then pour perfect pint of Guinness without looking in ‘filth’ video
At present, he is positioned second in the world behind Judd Trump and the race to finish top of the rankings will be one of the thrilling stories on the Road to the Crucible.
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Wilson added: “I have had so many wonderful opportunities off the back of being world champion, parading the trophy at Chelsea.
“We went to Aston Martin at Silverstone. We were invited back to their headquarters and partied with them while watching England at the Euros, which was an amazing occasion.
“There were Aston Martins dotted around left, right and centre. I enjoyed myself in those situations.
“Stephen Hendry came and filmed at my house for his Cue Tips YouTube channel. I picked his brains and said: ‘What were you like after you’d won your first of seven world titles?’
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“He’s a totally different sort of animal. He was like: ‘I was straight back to the practice table, I couldn’t wait for the next season and next event.’
“You know, I’m not quite that sort of animal. I’ve had a fantastic upbringing with a good social background, good friends that I see regularly.
“So, I just wanted to get around with those and celebrate for as long as I could.”
The rules of snooker
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THE aim of snooker is to clear the table of all balls – and achieving it in an incredible 147 break is the ultimate goal.
The rectangular table features green baize, a baulk line and semi-circle, known as the D.
It has six pockets, four in each corner and two midway down both long sides.
There are 15 red balls which are arranged in a triangular shape.
There are also six colour balls, and the white cue ball.
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Each colour sits on its own designated spot at the start of the game.
While red balls are worth one point when potted, the colours all have a different value.
In ascending order these are:
Yellow – two points
Green – three points
Brown – four points
Blue – five points
Pink – six points
Black – seven points
The first player will cue off and must hit at least one of the red balls in the triangle.
If they pot a red, they can then continue by potting a colour.
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However, if no red is potted then their opponent will play the next shot – going for a red first.
Each player must first pot a red ball when it’s their turn to play. If nothing is pocketed it is the other player’s turn at the table.
After each red is potted they must then follow with a colour, then a red, then a colour, and so on.
Whilst there are still red balls on the table, the potted colour balls are returned to their designated spot.
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Once all the red balls are pocketed, the player at the table must pot the colours in the order as outlined above.
If they miss then their opponent will have the opportunity to clear the table.
A 147 is a maximum break when all reds are potted by one player in one stint at the table.
In order to achieve 147, the player must pot all 15 reds with 15 blacks for 120 points.
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They must then clear all the colours, concluding with the black for 27 points.
During play the rules state that the cue must only touch the white cue ball.
The cue ball also must hit the correct colour ball – reds or colours in order.
If it hits the incorrect colour then a foul is called.
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If the cue ball fails to hit any ball or is pocketed it is also a foul.
The player’s turn at the table ends if they play a foul shot.
Players are also penalised if they touch any ball on the table with their person.
However, the underfire Dutchman remains optimistic about getting a good result.
Ten Hag has insisted that the fit members of the squad are “capable” of getting a result.
He added: “The players who are available have to do the job and they are capable of doing the job.
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“I think we have enough players in the team that are so experienced. Our team is so experienced.
“We’ve faced such situations more often.
“I think we’re looking forward, I think it will be a great ambience that’s fuel for the team and it’s a real challenge, it’s a motivation, it’s really good for us.”
Man United’s missing stars
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Here are the ten players out of the game against Fenerbahce…
At Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) takes on Aleksandar Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a fight he says will guarantee him a title shot with a victory.
“It’s up to the UFC (what’s next),” Ankalaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday. “I was pretty much told that, with this win, I’m next in line for the title. That’s what I hope is going to happen. But if, for some reason, I don’t get the title shot, and somebody else is put in front of me, then I’m going to have to get there, and I’m going to have to crush that person in order to get to the title shot.”
Ankalaev, 32, is a fighter many followers of the UFC thought should’ve been the most recent challenge for light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira. However, the promotion elected to book Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, whom he defeated by fourth-round knockout Oct. 5 at UFC 307.
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With the narrative largely revolving around Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), Ankalaev is sick of talking about the champion.
“To be honest, I don’t want to keep talking about Pereira, but people keep asking me questions about Pereira,” Ankalaev said. “If they ask me, then I have to answer. But really I’m focused on my fight. I’m worried about the opponent in front of me. I’m out there. I’m looking to win, something like that.”
If the two eventually face off, Ankalaev sees a clear difference in one skill set category that would set him apart from Pereira.
“It’s not like he’s that tough, but the fact is he is well rounded,” Ankalaev said. “He does have striking. He does have the ground game. When it comes to the champion, he just has the strikes and we know those strikes. We haven’t seen him wrestle ever.”
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Ankalaev indicated he’ll be seeking a finish against Rakic, but said he doesn’t think his potential title shot will be contingent on whether the fight goes 15 seconds or 15 minutes.
“It wasn’t a condition that it was a finish and a title (shot),” Anakalev said. “I was just told by Dana that it has to be a good fight. I have to show myself well, and then I’ll get a title shot.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
After beating Real Madrid on match week two, Jonathan David scores a brace to help Lille secure a 3-1 upset against Atletico Madrid on match week three of the Champions League.
Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) claimed the 135-pound title when he defeated Sean O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) by unanimous decision at UFC 306 in September. No. 1 contender Nurmagomedov has been pestering him about a fight date, but Dvalishvili said he’s willing to fight him in March – when Nurmagomedov can’t compete due to Ramadan.
“I already fought him, and it’s easy to come back because we’re both in the same situation,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie on rematching O’Malley. “We both fought on Sept. 14, and we would both step back on the same day. But when somebody else has been ready for me, preparing for me, that’s a different story.
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“With O’Malley, it’s easy because we’re both in the same situation. That’s why I told him we could do a quick turnaround for November. That shouldn’t be a problem because I was ready to fight O’Malley or ‘Chito’ Vera three weeks after I beat Henry Cejudo, but to fight somebody new, somebody with a different style. Yeah, I need time. I need two or three months.”
Dvalishvili revealed that the UFC mentioned December for his first title defense against Nurmagomedov, but he told them it was too early. He’s willing to compromise and fight early next year but is a little bothered about the criticism – considering that he just became champion a little over a month ago.
“I think February I’ll be ready,” Dvalishvili said. “I would like to fight February, so that’s it, and I want to fight three times next year. I want to be busy, but I just became champion, and I don’t understand why they want me to – I just want to relax.”
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
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