Kyren Wilson Cruises to 6-0 Victory Over Stephen Maguire

Kyren Wilson secured a dominant 6-0 victory over former UK Championship winner Stephen Maguire to advance to the second round. The world number two was in excellent form with a break of 71 in the fifth frame and an 86 in the sixth as Maguire the 2004 champion struggled throughout the match. Wilson’s win comes amid a string of upsets in the tournament including early exits by top seed Ronnie O’Sullivan and fifth seed Mark Selby.

Despite a challenging start with Wilson revealing he woke up with a migraine, he overcame the discomfort and delivered an impressive performance. “It felt like my head was going to explode,” said Kyren Wilson but he managed to control the migraine and focus on the game. This was his first Triple Crown event since his World Championship win in May and he described the experience of being introduced as the world champion as “goosebumps.”

In other matches, 46-year-old Michael Holt returning to the World Snooker Tour after a two-year absence, stunned 10th seed Gary Wilson to reach the UK Championship last 16 for the first time since 1999. Holt’s win after a tense final frame marked an incredible return to form. He now faces 2024 world runner-up Jak Jones, who defeated 2023 World Champion Luca Brecel 6-5.

Chris Wakelin also progressed to the last 16 for the first time after coming from behind to defeat Matthew Selt 6-4. Wakelin, who had never won a match at a BBC event was proud of his achievement and looks forward to his next match against Wilson a long-time practice partner.