……………………. planning to copy Ronnie O’Sullivan and puts target on snooker rival’s back

Newly crowned world snooker champion Kyren Wilson wants to match the feat of the great Ronnie O’Sullivan as he bids to build on his Crucible glory. Four years after being beaten at the same stage by the ‘Rocket’, the 32-year-old overcame Jak Jones 18-14 in the final this month, prompting emotional scenes as he celebrated with his family.After lifting the silverware, which he described as ‘this beautiful lady’, Wilson immediately signalled his intention to win more world crowns. But that is not the only goal now in sight for the ‘Warrior’, who wants to join an elite group of players to have won all three Triple Crown events.

O’Sullivan is one of just 11 players so far to have achieved that feat, with Wilson needing to add the Masters and UK Championship to become the 12th. “In snooker the goal for us is to complete the Triple Crown and I have now managed to win the hardest one,” he said in an interview with the Northamptonshire Telegraph.

“Now it is the Masters and the UK Championships that are definitely next on the list. I lost in the final of the Masters to Mark Allen in 2018 in a close game, and I have had a couple of semi-finals in the UK as well.”I have been knocking on the door of all of them, and I think that’s why winning the world title was so extra special, because I know how close I have been. It was just nice to get that horrible burden off my shoulders.”But Triple Crown success isn’t the only way that Wilson wants to follow in the footsteps of the seven-time world champion. He’s now risen to No.3 in the world, and is making no secret of his desire to displace Mark Allen at the top of the rankings.

“I think getting to world number one is within reaching distance,” added Wilson. “I have always thought that if you win that world title, with it being so top heavy, it is always going to rocket you up the rankings and it gives you that kind of shot at being world number one. So that is definitely on the radar.”

Allen rose to world No.1 following the world championship, despite suffering 13-12 defeat to John Higgins in the last 16. O’Sullivan had previously held that mantra, with the 48-year-old seeing his own hopes in Sheffield ended in the last eight with a shock defeat to Stuart Bingham.

Wilson however, has some way to go if he is to ever get near the icon’s overall haul of major titles. O’Sullivan has a record 23 Triple Crown events to his name, and landed both the Masters and UK Championships again this season before failing to win all three in the same campaign for the first time