Welsh Open: Gary Wilson to meet Martin O’Donnell in final

Gary Wilson will meet fellow Englishman Martin O’Donnell in the Welsh Open final on Sunday after hanging on to beat five-time winner John Higgins 6-4. Wilson’s score included a 147 as well as breaks of 104, 82, and 89 as he clinched a narrow victory in Llandudno.

The Englishman led 5-1 until Higgins pulled off three frames in a row, but Wilson went through with a break of 73. In the first semi-final, O’Donnell hit a fantastic break of 126 in the deciding set against Elliot Slessor.

Higgins was hunting a sixth Welsh Open championship, but Wilson got off to a flying start as he started with a century break of 104 before his 147 gave him a 2-0 lead. Scottish Open winner Wilson held perfect control at 4-0 when Higgins grabbed a frame back with a break of 93.

Wilson rallied to go to within one frame of the final, but Higgins posted breaks of 69, 66, and 78 as he fought hard and drew the score back to 5-4.

However, Wilson kept his composure with a break of 73 as he held on for victory on a night where he produced the 199th maximum break in snooker history.

Wilson secured his fifth career maximum as he became the 13th player to reach that milestone. “I am delighted,” Wilson added. “I didn’t do a lot wrong and played very well in patches. “The 147 was early in the match; I wasn’t even thinking about it at the start; I was simply hoping to gain a lead.

“It probably wasn’t until 40 or 50 that I thought, ‘the balls are on here’ and you can hear the crowd egging you on. “I should have had one in the frame before; I had a chance at it.” Higgins said he had no answer to Wilson’s scorching early form.

“He was deadly for the first three-and-a-half frames. Incredible, two centuries in a row,” Higgins added. “Gary played superbly. I give him credit; there was nothing I could do.” O’Donnell displayed amazing calm to win the first semi-final in the deciding frame.
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After a lengthy safety fight, O’Donnell used his chance to make the game’s first century break and win 6-5 to reach his first ranking final.

O’Donnell had taken a 5-3 lead against his fellow Englishman, but Slessor struck breaks of 95 and 65 to draw level.

“I was just enjoying it, and I thought of all the hours you put in at the club and everything you do,” O’Donnell said. “I was like, ‘Come on, let’s see what you’re made of here; let’s see if you stand up to the effort’.

“That is really all I was concentrating on. Weirdly enough, it was perhaps the most composed I’ve felt in a match at five each.”

World number 76, O’Donnell, upset world champion Luca Brecel in the quarterfinal before edging over Slessor, while Wilson won the Scottish Open in 2022 and 2023.