Shell-shocked Stan Moody blew his chance to become the first teenager to win a match at the World Snooker Championship since 2005 as he fell to a 10-7 defeat to 2024 champion Kyren Wilson.
The 19-year-old from Halifax began his Crucible debut in blistering fashion with two centuries and two further breaks over 80 to establish an improbable 6-3 lead at the end of a memorable morning session.
Moody duly extended his lead by taking the first frame upon the evening’s resumption, only for Wilson to reel off seven frames in a row to shatter the qualifier’s hopes of emulating Ronnie O’Sullivan, the last teenager to win a Crucible match 21 years ago.
“Gutted” Moody told the BBC: “I had the match won at 7-3 and the red to go 8-3, and then it turned around. I felt comfortable out there but to lose bad frames like that, it hurts. I’ll go away and practice and come back strong.”
The pivotal moment came in the 12th frame when Moody missed a red along the top cushion to effectively seal an 8-3 lead. Instead, Wilson cleared the remaining balls and forced a re-spotted black, which he won to reduce the arrears to 7-4.
As Moody’s previously solid game began to fall apart, he was far too casual trying to escape from three snookers Wilson required to salvage the 14th frame.
Wilson got what he needed to haul level, and from there it was a relatively straightforward route to victory for the third seed.
Wilson will face Mark Allen in the second round but revealed problems with his cue – which he intends to change after the tournament in time for next season – are threatening his chances of repeating his 2024 success.
“I absolutely hate my cue,” Wilson admitted afterwards. “It’s too flexible at the top, I’ve got no control, I’ve got no feel in my hand. I’m just fighting all the time.
“I’m just trying to dig it out with this one. It’s torture, but I’m trying.”
Former winner Shaun Murphy finished with a flourish to ensure he will take a narrow 5-4 lead into Tuesday’s deciding session of his first-round match against Chinese qualifier Fan Zhengyi.
Murphy struggled to find his consistency for much of the evening but saved his best for the last frame of the night when he summoned a 140 total clearance to just about assume control.
