Wilson close to 'mental breakdown' during defeat

Former world champion Kyren Wilson said he was close to having a "mental breakdown" during his 6-4 defeat by Elliot Slessor in the last 32 of the UK Championship.

The Englishman cut a dejected figure throughout, especially after missing a pink in the opening frame at York Barbican on Tuesday.

"I'm just very lost at the minute," said world number two Wilson, who was in tears at the post-match news conference.

"You were very close to seeing someone have a mental breakdown out there.

"I gave it my all, but I wanted the world to swallow me up as soon as I missed the pink in the first frame. It's been a nightmare.

"I just had to sit there and suffer and try my best. I battled - I gave it my all - but I just knew I couldn't win."

Wilson, 33, won the World Championship in May 2023 and four tournaments last season, but his form has fallen away this season. He has lost five of his past seven matches.

His only title came at the Shanghai Masters and he has not gone further than the quarter-finals at a ranking event.

Earlier this year Wilson said he was struggling "emotionally and mentally" being away from home as his wife Sophie struggled with health issues.

In October Wilson said he hoped positive news on her health would help him recapture his best form.

"My family have suffered enough with the stress I've put them under with trying to find something for this tournament," he said on Tuesday.

"It's about them now."

Wilson said his cue and the table were "awful" in the defeat by Slessor.

The cue Wilson used to win the world title was damaged while being refurbished at the start of this season.

"I want to smash the place up. I am so angry at what has happened," he said on Tuesday.

"It's been a freak accident that was totally out of my control that has ruined the cue that I felt like I was conquering the world with.

"I don't know where to look next.

"I have had different cue makers. I was at a cue manufacturer last night trying to sort something out.

"I was changing ferrules, changing tips. I must have picked up six yesterday. How can you go and win a match like that?"

Discussing the table, he said: "It was just guesswork.

"When you don't know where the balls are going to go, especially on tight pockets and unplayable conditions, it's just a recipe for disaster."

Slessor, who will play 2024 runner-up and fellow Englishman Barry Hawkins in the last 16, said: "I found it tight and thought the cloth had minimal grip, but it's had a lot of games on it."

Six-time world champion Steve Davis said it was a "bad day in the office" for Wilson.

"The sheen goes off the cloth and it can be a difficult session to play," he said. "It can sometimes drag the level down."