Snooker star Kyren Wilson has finally found a cue he can trust again, after a disastrous start to the season saw his cherished World Championship-winning cue broken beyond professional repair.
The Cue Catastrophe
The 2024 Crucible king, known as 'The Warrior', faced a snooker player's worst nightmare. His prized cue was snapped during a routine refurbishment just before the new campaign began. "It snapped about six inches off the top of my cue on the lathe," Wilson told Metro. "It really hurt. It's been a really difficult process."
Forced to compete with an altered version of his broken cue and several other substitutes, Wilson struggled. The balance and weight had changed, leading to costly mistakes on the table. "You're playing shots and you're thinking, why has that gone wrong? It's because it's not what you're used to," he explained.
An Unexpected Saviour from China
Salvation came from an unlikely source—a forgotten spare. Wilson revealed that a Chinese company approached him last year, shortly after his World Championship triumph, offering to make an exact replica. Initially reluctant, he agreed and then stored the new cue away.
Retrieving it last week proved a revelation. Wilson is now convinced the replica is superior to the original piece of wood that brought him his greatest glory. "I'm absolutely in love with it. It's better than the bit of wood that I won the World Championship with," he stated, clarifying it was better suited to his current game.
Charity Auction and UK Championship Ambition
The story of the original cue, however, is not over. Wilson's management, TW Sports Management, has announced the historic cue will be auctioned, with all proceeds going to the Be More FAB charity, for which Wilson's family are ambassadors.
Meanwhile, Wilson's focus shifts to the baize. He begins his UK Championship campaign in York on Tuesday night against Elliot Slessor, a tournament where he is desperate to improve a modest record. "My best run at the UK is the semi-finals, which is poor," he admitted. "I want to at least get within touching distance of that title. I've got a lot of unfinished business there."
