Wilson survives Wakelin comeback for third consecutive title

Kyren Wilson survived a stunning late comeback from Chris Wakelin to win the Champion of Champions tournament in Leicester. Wilson, 34, looked to be cruising to victory with a 9-3 lead and needed just one more frame for victory, but a determined Wakelin fought back in the evening session to put himself in touching distance at 9-8. Wakelin's impressive breaks of 131, 57 and 50 put Wilson on notice but he held his nerve for a 10-8 win with his fourth century break of the day. The win extends Wilson's fine run of form as he sealed his third consecutive title after triumphs at the Northern Ireland Open and the International Championship. He started confidently, taking control with a 135 break in the opening frame, and surged into a 4-0 lead before Wakelin recovered to make it 4-3.Wilson then notched five frames in a row and had the title in his sights before Wakelin started his response to set up the thrilling finale. "I made hard work of that in the end, didn't I?" Wilson told ITV after his victory."Full respect to Chris, he really dug in there well. I played some good stuff and felt I had killed the match in the first session."I've never felt so exhausted, I'm so drained. I felt so much pressure to get over the line."It is Wilson's first Champion of Champions win, having previously reached the final in 2018 where he lost to seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan. He is also the first player to win three tournaments in a row since Judd Trump in 2023.