Wilson and Jones set up surprise showpiece final

Kyren Wilson eased into his second World Snooker Championship final after completing a win over qualifier David Gilbert at the Crucible Theatre and will face Welsh qualifier Jak Jones in something of an unlikely Championship decider.

- MARK STANIFORTH

The 12th seed Wilson took three of the four frames required in yesterday's third session to wrap up a 17-11 victory that earns him a second crack at the title following his defeat in the 2020 final to Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Five frames in succession in their second session on Friday evening had done the damage as Wilson turned a neck-and-neck clash, that was finely poised at 9-9, into a four-frame advantage he never looked likely to squander.

Gilbert did reduce the deficit to 14-11 with a break of 70 in the opening frame of the day, but after coming off worse in a lengthy safety battle in the next, his fate was effectively sealed.

Wilson punched the air and blew a kiss to his family in the stand after potting the decisive blue and will start a heavy favourite in his second final against Jak Jones, who beat Stuart Bingham 1712 in the second semi-final, which was much stodgier and slower going than the free-flowing Wilson v Gilbert contest.

Jones and Bingham had been locked at 8-8 heading into the first of two sessions yesterday but Jones made the running in the morning to grind out a 13-10 advantage, although the pair were pulled off a frame early due to slow play.