Kyren Wilson has been brutally told he is “not in the same bracket” as Judd Trump or Mark Selby by snooker rival Matthew Selt.
World No. 33 Selt did not hold back in his comments ahead of his World Grand Prix showdown with Wilson in March. It comes after Wilson bounced back from a shock defeat in the Masters final to Shaun Murphy to triumph at the German Masters, before being knocked out in the second round of the Welsh Open by Joe O’Connor.
Selby ended up victorious at the Welsh Open, while Trump sat out in order to focus on his Crucible ambitions in May. And Selt, whose comments may come back to bite him when he faces The Warrior in Hong Kong, explained how the aforementioned duo are a cut above Wilson during his appearance on the Snooker Club podcast.
Selt started off the conversation by praising Selby and tipping him to claim several more World Championships: “As soon as Ronnie O’Sullivan [retires], the two favourites for me every year are going to be Trump and Selby,” which led Stephen Hendry to ask: “You don’t put Kyren in that category?”
Wilson responded: “Unfortunately I talk as honestly as I can which is my downfall in life and for me he’s not in that same bracket as Trump and Selby. I’m playing Kyren in Hong Kong and it will be a privilege to play the world champion in such a high event.
“He’s a great player, a phenomenal player but he’s a few years behind them. I think he will get there, I think he’ll win more titles and a lot more ranking events.
“But at this moment in time, no I don’t hold him as high as Trump or Selby. That might be harsh but it’s just how I see it.”
World No. 2 Wilson, aged 33, is currently enjoying the best spell of his career. He won his first Triple Crown title and world title at the 2024 World Snooker Championship.
Selby, meanwhile, has four world championships to his name along with a total of nine Triple Crown titles, having claimed his first major at the 2008 Masters. The current world No. 1 – Judd Trump – has five Triple Crown titles, including the 2024 UK Championship.
Get email updates with the day’s biggest stories