Stan Moody suffers painful Kyren Wilson defeat | Other | Sport

Kyren Wilson avoided a major upset at the Crucible by coming from behind to beat Stan Moody in the first round of the World Championship. Moody announced himself on the Crucible stage with some superb play for a 6-3 first-session lead over Wilson.

The 19-year-old discharged himself from hospital after suffering from a serious bout of tonsillitis to enable him to qualify for the tournament. Moody, ranked 44 in the world, took the first frame in under eight minutes with an 84 break as Wilson failed to get a point on the board.

However, Wilson, to his credit, came storming back in the second session to claim a 10-7 victory and set up a second-round showdown against either Mark Allen or Zhang Anda.

With Moody clearly struggling in the second-session and 9-7 behind, pundit Joe Perry, sitting in the studio, admitted: “It’s not nice to see now.”

While fellow BBC pundit and 1997 world champion Ken Doherty praised the teenager, saying: “Some of the pots Stan Moody takes on are impressive. He’s not shirking the big shots. He’s continued to be positive.

“What I love about him is his first time here and he’s embraced it. There’s been no nerves and he looks like he’s loving every moment.”

On Wilson, Doherty added: “Kyren Wilson has played brilliantly to come back. Okay, he’s still missing balls, but the manner and fortitude he’s shown at the big times; he’s done well to dig himself out of a hole. Fair play to way he has stuck at it.

The victory is a boost Wilson, who named himself as one of the possible winners of this year’s competition.

“I think I’m right in there in the mix myself,” the 2024 champion said of contenders for the title this year. ‘I think [Zhao] Xintong, the way he’s been playing.

“He’s right up there. He’s won four tournaments. He’s been a fantastic world champion. I think Ronnie’s going to be gunning for it.

“He’s been practising very, very hard in China. Looked good in China. Making that history, the 153 break [at the World Open].

“Judd Trump’s been very consistent. But also 11 Chinese players. So you wouldn’t put it past a Chinese winner again, would you?”