Kyren Wilson enlisted the help of a ‘solution hypnotherapist’ to help him sleep and refresh during his Crucible campaign ahead of his appearance in the World Snooker Championship final.
Warrior added another fairly comfortable win to his string of success in Sheffield by defeating Dave Gilbert 17-11 in Saturday’s semi-final.
The 13-8 quarter-final victory over John Higgins was as close as any previous match against Wilson, with either Stuart Bingham or Jack Jones attracting attention.
It’s been a very quiet season for the 32-year-old, but with the help of a hypnotherapist, he hit his stride at the World Championships.
“I didn’t even know what the first was. I just kept playing,” Wilson said after defeating Gilbert. “When I turned 16, I looked up and saw the best of 33, but I didn’t really understand. I forget what day it is.
“I’ve had a lot of people help me. I’m working with a resolution hypnotherapist called Chris O’Connor and we just started before the World Championships.
“He’s been helping me sleep, but he was basically just knocking me out, and I slept eight and a half hours last night. When I get home, I have to deal with the kids again, so God bless me. Help me!
“We talk almost every day. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to speak to me.”
“Just empty your stress bucket, if that makes any sense. We all have events that can affect our daily work lives. Thanks to that, we can get out there and empty the stress bucket. Now I can be a little more free.”
The matchup with Gilbert was close, 4-4 in the first two sessions and then 8-8, but Wilson took control on Friday night and crossed the line Saturday afternoon.
“Dave had every right to beat me in that fight,” he said. “Dave is a classy cue player and he hits the ball incredibly well, so I have to stop him from getting carried away.”
“I felt like I broke my back in yesterday’s game. I was obviously focused on winning the advantage.
“I was in good shape in that match and had some great luck at the right time. So there are swings and roundabouts and you just have to be patient.”
Wilson is competing in his second world championship final after losing to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2020, but he learned a simple lesson from the experience.
“Don’t eat too much pizza or eat too many Peronis the night before!” Wilson said. “When I woke up in the morning, I was very tired, and on the morning of the final, the fire alarm went off at the hotel, so I only got three hours of sleep.
“It’s quite difficult to play him as he is with all that going on. I woke up and thought, wow, I have to go again. It felt very unusual, but now… I know it’s normal. I know how to handle it a little better.”
Jones and Bingham will play their final match Saturday night, with the winner facing Wilson on Sunday and Monday.
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