Wilson Stuns O’Sullivan with Brilliant 5-2 Victory, Books Semi-Final Spot in Xi’an Grand Prix
In a stunning quarter-final showdown at the Xi’an Grand Prix, Gary Wilson produced a scintillating performance to defeat the legendary seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-2. From the outset, Wilson showed he was in no mood to be intimidated by O’Sullivan’s immense reputation, racing to a commanding 3-0 lead. His impressive breaks of 74, 101, and 79 left the world number one with little room to breathe.
However, O’Sullivan, ever the competitor, showed his resilience, capitalizing on a few errors from Wilson in the fourth frame and reducing the deficit to 3-2 after claiming the fifth. Despite the fightback, Wilson refused to buckle under pressure, producing a superb 120 break in the sixth frame to reassert his dominance. The final frame was tightly contested, but Wilson, maintaining his composure, held off O’Sullivan’s challenge to clinch the victory and secure his spot in the semi-finals.
Reflecting on his performance, Wilson spoke about the mental battle of playing against someone like O’Sullivan. “You’ve got to show him that you’re ready to play,” he said. “Ronnie feeds off your confidence, so blocking out any self-doubt is crucial.” Despite feeling his technique was not the best on tour, Wilson’s mental fortitude and belief in his game were key factors in his victory.
Wilson will now face Shaun Murphy in the semi-finals, after Murphy defeated home favourite Ding Junhui 5-3 in his own quarter-final. Murphy’s strong breaks of 77, 66, 121, and 94 showcased his clinical form, and he’s now just two wins away from claiming his 14th ranking title, which would move him one behind Ding’s all-time ranking victories.
The other semi-final will see a Welsh showdown between Mark Williams and Daniel Wells. Williams, a three-time world champion, had to fight hard to overcome Lyu Haotian 5-4, while Wells made his way past 20-year-old Liam Pullen with a 5-2 win. Wells, aiming for his first professional final, will be looking to continue his strong run. With so much talent on display, the semi-finals promise to deliver more thrilling snooker action.
