Admitted to losing to Mark Williams in the British Open final as a "devastating" blow, Gary Wilson felt he had never shown his peak form and was frustrated that he could not play his full game.
文/Phil Haigh，《Metro》
The British Open is only Wilson's second time in the ranking final, and it seems that being able to play the final seems like a good result for him, but unfortunately he has not been able to play throughout the event, including the final defeat.
The 36-year-old scored a 4-stroke break at the British Open, but he was still endlessly frustrated that he couldn't stay at his best from start to finish.
Wilson said: "At the end of the game, I was literally devastated. I know I'm not playing at my level and I feel like I'm struggling quite a bit most of the time. ”
"It can be hard for people to understand that because they're used to seeing us play badly. But I know I can play super well, I can do it in the past and I can now, I just need to keep me in good shape and keep the form and the game in sync. ”
'It was supposed to be a good chance for me to win, but Mark Williams gradually gained the upper hand in the final, he was a great champion and it was me who lost.'
"Snooker players at every level are constantly seeking the stability of their own state, and it is the fluctuations of the state that make it difficult for ordinary players to be consistent."
Frankly, Wilson's feelings are not unusual, and it is at least a comfort for him to be able to reach the ranking finals again when he has not yet reached his peak.
"I've struggled with this for most of my career, and it's the root cause of what I've had to fight to the end. My level of competition is good enough to give me confidence to take out my average form enough to cope with ordinary matches, but it is difficult for me to burst out of my peak state. ”
'I don't think I could have done anything in that race, if I knew what I had to do I would have been a champion.
"Being able to reach the final when I wasn't in good shape really gave me some confidence. I just want to get into the second half of the game as much as I can and then stay in good shape and I can really win the game instead of watching someone else win the title. ”
Wilson's words sounded a bit "Versailles", but believing that only he knew what he felt like in the game, he found it difficult to get pleasure out of the game when he wasn't playing at his best.
"People think I'm harsh on myself, but I just want to go further. I'm all honest, I'm not justifying my failures, I know my strength is there, but I haven't been able to play out, which is the most frustrating thing. ”
"Maybe I was too honest in the interview, but I can only say what I really think. If I play badly, I won't whitewash myself. ”
Wilson advanced to the final with an easy 3-0 win in the first three rounds of the British Open, before beating Hussein Waffy, David Gilbert and friend Elliott Slather.
He defeated Stephen Hendry in the second round, and Hendry thought Wilson was just a little off winning the title.
Asked if he was bullish on Wilson becoming the ranking champion, Hendry confessed to telling ITV: "With his (Wilson's) current level of competition, he can't win the championship at the moment. ”
"I think he still has room to improve. You can't say straight that he can't win the championship, after all, luck to win the single-time limited time tournament is also the ranking champion. I don't think he's up to that level of competition with the likes of Williams in the finals of major tournaments. ”
Now that he has a clear idea of his state, Wilson should be able to understand why Hendry holds this view. While Wilson himself knew he was capable of winning, he had to actually take a title to prove himself.
"I totally understand Hendry's idea, and it's understandable that he said that. But it's clear that Stephen (Hendry) doesn't know me as well as others, and I can understand his assessment, but I don't feel objective enough. ”
"He should have watched the wonderful semi-finals I played at the World Championships and the other games where I played well, but since he didn't see it he didn't know what level I was at and it seemed like I needed to play quality games often. If I don't show it, then I can't expect others to look up to me. ”
'If I've played really well throughout the game and just been beaten by a better opponent, then I'd wonder why he turned a blind eye to my performance, but I'm really not interested in arguing with him.'
Wilson is trying to put the frustration of the game behind him, he still wants to enjoy the fun of snooker, and he doesn't want to be in a state of tension all the time.
He plans to spend more time practicing and trying to enjoy life outside of practice, and he hopes that this adjustment will help him win his first title in the near future.
He said: "To the point where you can only keep saying clichés except for a championship. People may have gotten tired of hearing it, and I'm a little tired of saying these words, but hopefully I can win a championship as soon as possible, have something fresh to say, and leave the unpleasant behind. ”
'I want to be able to enjoy the game, but it's not enough to just tell yourself to enjoy something, you can't just do that one thing.
"I have to keep practicing hard and try to find something new. Practice hard, play hard, that's my mantra now. If you're happy off the field, you can be happy on the field. ”
"If my feelings are average, it's that it's stable and not bad. If I feel good, then I know I can win the final victory. That's my goal this season, to win a championship out. ”
A positive news for Wilson is that he has largely overcome the psychological trough he experienced at the beginning of the year. The quality of the house in which Wilson lived dragged on for two years, leaving him in a depressed state. Not only were he and his fiancée forced to live in a house that was "raining and winding", but their family's financial situation was in crisis.
Thankfully, as Wilson puts it, "This annoying problem is over." The problem with the house has been solved, and only a few minor problems in the corners are left, but I no longer have to worry about this problem as much energy as I did last year. ”
"I never worry about anything else in the game, I can concentrate, but the house problem can't get back to normal one day without solving it."
"Now it seems that it is not enough to just stay focused in the game. The house problem was basically solved and I had a good performance at the beginning of the season, hoping that I could relax and start enjoying the game. ”
"Taking more money at the beginning of the season helps to reach the Grand Prix, and I hope I can reach the Players Championship (the first 16 of the single season) and my goal is still to win the championship."
Wilson will make another appearance in the English Open qualifiers on 18 September.