Kyren Wilson 4 – 3 Oliver Lines (Best of 7 frames)
Reigning Northern Ireland Open champion Kyren Wilson battled through a frustrating, error-strewn first-round clash to edge out fellow Englishman Oliver Lines.
World No. 2 Wilson was made to work hard by World No. 62 Lines keep hold of his title for another day, in a match that started with the champion looking composed and determined, but ended with him simply relieved to get over the line.
Frame by Frame analysis
Frames 1-4
Wilson came out looking like he meant business, and as the first frame started, it was clear he was in no mood to hang around. A break of 24, which included a tricky shot bridging over the pack of reds to pot a free one, ended with an uncharacteristic miss on the black. But when Lines failed to capitalise, ‘The Warrior’ took control, compiling a break of 55 to seal the frame in just over ten minutes.
A missed red into the top-right corner pocket stalled the defending champion’s momentum, and Lines seized his chance. After a brief safety exchange, he rolled a red into the middle and took full control, his assured cueing bringing him level at one frame apiece.
Another loose miss on a red allowed Lines to strike first in the third frame, but luck deserted him as the cue ball rolled straight into the pack, leaving no shot on a colour. Still carrying some frustration from the previous frame, Wilson opted to smash into the reds – and it paid off, with one red dropping to open the table. From there, he was relentless, racing through a superb break of 133 to reclaim the lead in style.
Frame four proved a scrappy affair, with both players making unforced errors early on. Lines was first to find any rhythm, compiling a tidy run to move 50 points clear before Wilson returned to the table needing snookers. None were forthcoming, and Lines duly levelled the match at two frames each.
Frames 4-7
The fifth frame was another tough one for Wilson, his frustration starting to show. Impatience with the slower tempo crept into his shot choices, and a missed long red into the corner – instead of opting for safety – proved costly. Lines stepped in with a composed break of 64, and after a tense 23-minute safety exchange, where Wilson earned two of three snookers to get back into the frame, finally sank the brown to move 3–2 ahead.
With Lines one frame away from a famous victory, and the defending champion on the ropes, Wilson stepped up. A break of 61, coupled with Lines unable to get a point on the board, forced the match into a final frame decider.
The final frame was the match in a microcosm, some sharp hitting, far too many errors, but Wilson had enough to keep his crown for another day as he edged out Lines 4-3.
