As the ticker tape rained down over the 32-year-old last night as he fulfilled his childhood dream by becoming snooker's newest world champion, Wilson would have been forgiven for thinking back to the bumps in the road which brought him to this point. The boy who was convinced to take up snooker as a sixyear-old by Peter Ebdon has not done it the easy way.
At the age of just 19, Wilson fell off the professional tour after just a solitary season among the elite. He returned to his hometown of Kettering, combining practice sessions with a job behind a bar at Barratts in nearby Northampton, the venue where he used to pot balls and dream of squaring off against the world's best players.
On two separate occasions Wilson tried-and failed - to reclaim his place on the tour at Q School, essentially becoming an amateur player. But as his nickname emphasises, Wilson is a warrior and here, having already fallen short in the biggest game of them all against Ronnie O'Sullivan four years ago, this time, he was able to go one step further and be crowned champion of the world.
Denne historien er fra May 07, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra May 07, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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'Show your teeth' Arteta's message to players as Arsenal lose more ground
A disappointed Mikel Arteta told his players to \"show their teeth\" and said he was praying they remain injury-free during the international break after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea that meant Arsenal lost further ground in the title race.
Amorim hit by visa delay as he jets in to lead United
Rúben Amorim is yet to be granted a visa despite starting his first official day as Manchester United's head coach today and will not be able to take an opening training session.
Ødegaard brings clarity in the chaos but a few regrets too
On the plus side he notably improved the team. On the minus, well, there's only one of him
Neto makes point as Arsenal falter again
There were people on the pitch, Chelsea substitutes to be precise, the joy of everyone connected to the club overflowing. Pedro Neto had produced the equaliser with a vicious low drive from distance and if it did not turn out to be the statement victory that Enzo Maresca and his players wanted – a first against a so-called Big Six rival – they could see the merit in a battling draw.
Beaming McKenna savours Ipswich's winning moment
The away end's explosion of noise and limbs at full time left no question about what this meant to Ipswich.
United hit cruise control as Van Nistelrooy signs off
Eleven days after Manchester United routed Leicester under Ruud van Nistelrooy in the Carabao Cup here, the interim manager signed off with another easy-street win over the Foxes and so ends his four-game term unbeaten.
Campbell earns United the Sheffield bragging rights
The Steel City derby may not be played quite as regularly as some others or quite have the same pull on a national scale but there is no doubting that what you do in this fixture can make you a legend in this particular part of the world.
Bompastor keeps cool despite more perfection
Sonia Bompastor insisted her Chelsea team have won nothing yet and said she will keep their feet on the ground after the defending champions continued their strongest ever start to a Women's Super League season with a routine victory at Liverpool.
Barnes has last chop to cut down Forest
Nottingham Forest have been fishing in the waters Newcastle aspire to swim in. This season, Nuno Espírito Santo's team are the provincial outfit punching above their weight but in taking them down at the City Ground, Newcastle, now just a point behind Forest, showed they too possess the capability to join the throng.
WSL roundup Hayashi saves Everton but trouble looms
When the Crystal Palace midfielder My Cato found herself with the ball on the left, inside a minute at the VBS Community Stadium, the Everton defence followed, three of the back four shifting across and then looking back in horror as an unmarked Indiah-Paige Riley collected the pass from Cato in the middle before slotting home.
