I turned up late to play the Godfather of Snooker and was devastated – now I’ve equalled his record
KYREN WILSON has drawn level on ranking titles with the “Godfather of Snooker” Jimmy White.
The world champion is enjoying a terrific season and is one of the favourites to win any tournament he enters.
Wilson, 33, beat Judd Trump in a decider to win the Players Championship on Sunday to take his ranking title victories to ten.
It draws the father-of-two level in the all-time standings with cult cueist White, whose last triumph was 21 years ago.
Next up for Wilson is the Tour Championship in Manchester and then it is the big one, the trip up the M1 motorway to Sheffield.
The Kettering ace said: “I remember being late for an exhibition once that Jimmy was playing in. I turned up late to play him.
“I was absolutely devastated. I watched a couple of frames he had against someone else and was in awe of Jimmy. He was fantastic.
“I call him the ‘Godfather of Snooker’. To be level with a legend like that, on ten ranking titles as well, is an incredible achievement, one I am very proud of.”
Wilson has two dentist appointments following his latest snooker success – but he hopes to be the one grinning come the climax to the Crucible.
Ten months after winning a maiden world title, the Warrior was all smiles on Sunday night as he collected a fourth ranking title of the season in Telford.
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Three of those four tournament victories have come in finals against the world No1 and their rivalry is building into one for the ages.
Wilson is perhaps as best equipped as anyone to break the Crucible Curse – no first-time winner in Sheffield has ever managed to defend the crown the following year.
In a post-mortem ITV chat, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry feared Wilson might suffer burnout, given his willingness to play in every event, but the man himself is embracing the challenge.
Before all that, however, he has had to endure two trips to get his teeth fixed, with a check-up at 4pm on Monday and then a procedure on Tuesday.
The world No2 said: “I’m having some treatment. I’m looking forward to it. I will probably carry on drinking all through Monday in celebration.
“I would rather go to the Crucible as a multiple champion. You don’t want to go there with no wins under your belt.
“I will play on the first day at the Crucible. Then I have a week off. How often do we have a week off on the World Snooker Tour? So, I will use that to my advantage.
“There’s a healthy rivalry between Judd and I. I’m targeting that No1 spot for next season. That is well within my reach.
“To do that you have to keep beating Judd and winning these tournaments. If you let him get too far ahead, you will never catch him.
“Snooker is very competitive now. The standard has increased. It’s so hard to win.
“Sometimes it’s hard to give yourself a pat on the back but I feel I deserve one.
“The greats of the game have won multiple tournaments. To be right up there, you have to do that consistently.”