Kyren Wilson cracked a joke at Shaun Murphy’s expense before the Masters final (Image: BBC Sport)
is keeping things light between himself and his final opponent as the pair prepare for a showdown at Alexandra Palace on Sunday.
The pair will go head to head in the best-of-19-frame contest after world champion during the evening session, having watched Murphy impress during the day.
Wilson scored six half-centuries and a match-winning century as he swept Judd Trump aside in their semi-final on Saturday, taking a 6-3 victory over the world No. 1.
But Murphy had already thrown down the gauntlet when he recorded beating Mark Allen by the same scoreline.
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While some snooker players would have been intimidated by such a display, ‘The Warrior’ instead made a tongue-in-cheek remark claiming he should’ve added another maximum.
Speaking to the after securing his place in the final, Wilson said: “I am really looking forward to it. He’s had a fantastic week.”
He then joked: “[I’m going to] try and rub salt into the wounds, he should have had two 147s. So poor from him really.”
Reacting to his win over Trump, Wilson admitted he wasn’t feeling in peak condition and praised the crowd for helping him over the line.
Kyren Wilson beat Judd Trump 6-3 in his Masters semi-final (Image: Getty)
“Delighted to make my second Masters final,” Wilson told Eurosport. “I said to Trump ‘what an atmosphere’ before we started tonight. It gave me goosebumps.
“Judd is so, so hard to beat. He’s been so successful over the past couple of years and he’s so hard to beat. Many years ago, he would’ve maybe got a bit frustrated, played a bit of a reckless shot and thrown me in the balls.
“But now he’s able to take his medicine, play safe and make it difficult for me. I really had to dig in today; I wasn’t at 100 per cent, but thank you to the crowd for giving me the adrenaline.”
His enticing clash with Murphy represents the Kettering native’s chance to right some wrongs from his past after a painful 10-7 defeat to Allen in the 2018 final.
Shaun Murphy hit a 147 break before sealing his place in the final (Image: Getty)
He then lost his next shot at a Triple Crown title when he was blown away by Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-8 in the World Snooker Championship final two years later.
But as he has matured, Wilson has shown a steady hand at the table when the pressure is on. He needed that to beat Jak Jones to become world champion last year after a tense 18-14 triumph.
The 33-year-old might be keen to bring the pressure down a notch with a few jokes as he bids to end his long wait for a Masters title. However, Murphy too is well-versed in preparing for a Masters final – having won the competition with a crushing 10-2 victory over Neil Robertson a decade ago.
Like Wilson, he lost on his first appearance in the showpiece event against Robertson in 2012 before exacting his revenge. And it promises to be a close battle in the capital across Sunday between two of snooker’s most consistent stars.