Wilson's Xian defence hit by wife's surgery as he loses 5-0 to Murphy

Kyren Wilson, the world number two and defending Xian Grand Prix champion, said on Friday that his wife underwent surgery and that concern for her health left him largely off the table for about a month as he began his defence at the 2025 Xian Grand Prix in Xian, China. Wilson beat Haris Tahir in a held-over qualifying fixture and progressed through the draw, but his run ended in the last 16 when Shaun Murphy beat him 5-0 in a one-sided match.

Wilson told the World Snooker Tour that he had not practised properly for four or five weeks because his wife, Sophie, had been seriously unwell and was recovering from surgery. He said he made a last-minute decision to travel to China while she was in hospital, a choice that weighed on him during recent events. "It is not nice knowing that someone is going to be on the operating table while you are going to hit some snooker balls around," he said. He added that his wife was approaching six weeks of recovery and that he had begun to refocus on his game.

The English player began his Xian campaign with a strong performance against Haris Tahir, compiling breaks of 103, 76 and 60. He also received a bye into the last 32 after Marco Fu withdrew...