Gary Wilson lifted the BetVictor Scottish Open snooker title 12 months ago and he is first on the table when the tournament returns to Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium from Monday, December 11.
The Tyneside-based cueman pocketed £80,000 last year and celebrated with his family beside the table (pictured), a memory Wilson said he will treasure. He has Scottish roots.
And the man nicknamed The Tyneside Terror has now totalled £231,000 in earnings from the snooker table.
The 38-year-old turned professional in 2004 after winning the world under-21 title and this year he goes in against Elliot Slessor naturally hoping to retain the coveted title.
He has claimed a 147 four times and Wallsend-based Wilson knocked out current world No 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan at Meadowbank 12 months ago on his way to annexing his first ranking title.
Victory over Joe O’Connor by a comprehensive 9-2 was sweet and, since then, Wilson has reached the semi-final of the WST Classic before being edged 5-4 by Pang Junxu.
Last year, he said that winning the Scottish Open meant the world to him and added; “Many times during my career I felt I would not get to this stage and it is unbelievable as the career I’ve had has been so up and down.
“It has been a life-long ambition since I was eight-year-old (to win a ranking title) and it has finally happened. I tried not to get ahead of myself. Even at 8-2 you still think the worst could happen deep down, but you concentrate to get over the line.”
Wilson revealed that he put no expectation on himself going into the tournament last year and tried his best during the week. Now, the pressure is on to repeat that triumph and Slessor stands between him and the next round when they clash in the 10am session on Monday.
Slessor is also from Tyneside and is 29. He comes from Gateshead and turned professional in 2013 and has a highest break of 142 and money earnings of £86,500 after exiting the UK Championship at the last 32 stage 6-5 to Zhang Anda in the best of 11 frames match. Slessor put out Scotsman Graeme Dott from Larkhall in the last 80 by 6-3.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, the world No 1, is on table not before 1pm on Monday and John Higgins is on table not before 8pm on Monday.
Tickets are still available and for the full draw visit www.wst.tv
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