World Champion Kyren Wilson wins snooker's inaugural Xi'an Grand Prix

His first ranking event appearance outside of the UK as the reigning World Champion following his victory at the Crucible in May, 32-year-old Wilson pockets the £177,000 top prize from this new World Snooker Tour event and moves to within striking distance of the world number one spot, which is now occupied by Trump.

Victory at the Qujiang E-sports Centre moves Wilson into 15th on the all-time list of the most decorated ranking event champions in professional snooker history. Wilson’s maiden ranking success also came in China and at the expense of Trump in the final when he shocked the sport by winning the 2015 Shanghai Masters as a qualifier ranked 54th in the world.

Wilson arrived in the Far East after a disappointing start to the new 2024/25 season having lost in the opening phase of the Championship League and been whitewashed 6-0 by Zhou Yuelong in his first match at the Shanghai Masters invitational.

However, at the home of the Terracotta Warriors, snooker’s ‘Warrior’ showed nerve and class on his way through to the title match, ousting Jimmy Robertson with a clutch counter clearance in a deciding frame win in the last 16 and dispatching seven-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals.

Nine years on from their memorable meeting in Shanghai, this latest final between Wilson and Trump was expected to be very close, and there was never more than a frame between the two until the end.

The lead changed hands during the first session in Xi'an, but it was world number three Wilson who finished the session with a narrow 5-4 advantage after claiming a dramatic frame nine on the final pink after Trump missed a tricky blind cut pot on the final blue into a corner pocket.

Both players each compiled a century break during the session; Trump hit a 114 in frame two and Wilson struck a 135 in frame six, although he bizarrely missed the final black off its spot for a 142 clearance when he decided to entertain the crowd and look away whilst trying to pot it. Had Wilson sunk it, the effort would have overtaken Mark Williams' contribution of 140 which stood as the tournament's highest break and scooped him a £5,000 bonus.

On resumption, Trump - who dropped only seven frames in six matches en route to the final - responded to his deficit by depositing three of the opening four frames to take the lead at 7-6.

After the final mid-session interval of the tie, Trump was looking like moving two clear with frame 14, but it was Wilson who took it on the colours to square up at 7-7.

Wilson got in first in frame 15 but uncharacteristically missed a pot on a red with the rest and his fellow Englishman fully punished with a run of 104 to edge back in front.

That would turn out to be Trump's final frame, though, as Wilson levelled again with the help of a 54 break in frame 16 before winning another frame on the colours at the end of a tense 17th.

Now with some momentum, Wilson delivered several beautifully executed shots to get the title won in the next, finishing in style with a break of 89.

Trump's loss was his first defeat of the campaign having won the Shanghai Masters last month. Had he won the final, he would have notched up his eighth ranking event success in China, making him outright the most decorated winner in that category. He jointly holds the record alongside Mark Selby with seven titles each.

Following his semi-final victory over Daniel Wells on Saturday, Trump was already guaranteed to return to the top of snooker's world rankings, regardless of the final result.

Wilson is now only £25,500 behind both Trump and Mark Allen in the professional standings, and with the huge money Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters starting in just days, he will have his sights set on - as will several others - overtaking Trump and climbing to the top of the tree for the first time in his career.

For results from the 2024 Xi’an Grand Prix, please visit our tournament information centre here.