Kyren Wilson produced three ton-plus breaks to dispose of Hong Kong-born women’s professional On Yee Ng in his first BetVictor Scottish Open appearance.
But the Kettering-based professional (pictured) was annoyed that he missed a potable red into the middle pocket as he eyed a fourth, straight 100-plus break in the match which is part of the Home Nations Series.
The world No 8 took his century break total to 350 with the treble and believes that he has sent out a message to the rest of the field that he is playing well.
Wilson, nicknamed The Warrior, rattled in a 100 break in the opening frame which he won 100-19, then added another 100 in the second which had a 106-14 scoreline and then a 114 in the third (score 114-6), and it could have been more had he not missed a black.
Then he missed on the red in the fourth having built at break of 46 and was looking good. The red rattled both sides of the jaws but stayed above ground and the facial expression of the affable, 30-year-old player, spoke volumes.
Wilson, who has never played in Edinburgh before, ended the frame a 74-6 winner against the only women in the BetVictor Scottish Open field and was asked what was in his porridge for breakfast.
He quipped: “I live near the Weetabix factory in my home town so I definitely had my Weetabix this morning.
“It is weird to say, but I was a little disappointed as I was looking at four 100 breaks in a row and that very rarely happens.
“That would have been very nice but, I can’t be too greedy. I should not have missed it (the red). The thinking was to do the simple bits as there were three reds around the pink spot. Yes, I took my eye off the pot but overall I am very pleased with the way I played.
“It is nice to make records and it is nice to have your name written down for little things like that and, if you can tick it off, it is obviously great.”
He added: “I have been playing really well. I had a strong showing in the qualifiers in Leicester recently, qualifying for the German Open, and won both matches without dropping a frame.
“So, here we are at the (BetVictor) Scottish Open in Edinburgh. It was around 5hr 30mins to get here and it was my first experience of a train journey of that distance. It is nice to go out to a new venue and a new city.”
Wilson said that the Meadowbank complex, which has just been subject to a £45m facelift, looked great and it was good to have a good crowd in for the first game of the day.
He added: “We are looking good. When you put in a performance like that you show your competitors and yourself that you are playing well and I have confidence going forward.”
Later, English player Joe O’Connor edged Zhao Xintong 4-3 thanks to a well-constructed, 87 break in the fourth frame after the Chinese player missed a red, the ball rattling the pocket, early in the frame.
And Bristol-born Judd Trump opened his game against fellow-Englishman, Mitchell Mann, with a stunning 147 break, his eighth in tournament play.
He moved into three figures with a red into the middle and then potted a tricky red as the cue ball was tight to the cushion to move to 113 and then he potted the colours, even if the pink was out of place, lying near the blue which was on its spot in the centre of the table.
The world No 3 finished in style, sending the pink into the middle pocket and bringing the cue ball back to an ideal position to pot the black in the bottom bag. He raised his fist in triumph and his opponent sportingly offered his congratulations. The crowd loved it.
Larkhall-born Graeme Dott bowed out to Joe Perry after losing 4-3, however the Scot battled back from 3-1 down to take the tense tussle to the deciding frame.
The 45-year-old lost the first 58-43 and the second 60-4 but snapped back in the third to take it 57-19 but he lost the next to the man nicknamed The Gentleman after a 50 break by his opponent. The scoreline was 73-40.
Dott’s back was to the wall but the Scot rallied to take the sixth frame 95-0 thanks to a break of 60 and the next was his as well with an even better break, this time of 67 for a 75-1 scoreline, but the long final frame ended in disappointment as Wisbech-born Perry edged it 58-35.
There was much better news for Scottish fans as Perth-born Scott Donaldson, who now lives in Dunfermline, beat 40-year-old Shaun Murphy, originally from Harlow, 4-0, racing to a 3-0 lead with breaks of 93, 77 and 64.
The 28-year-old Scot won the final frame 89-1 to march on in the competition.
The tournament, with Ronnie O’Sullivan, the world No 1, and Scottish hope, John Higgins, runs until December 4.
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