KYREN WILSON is adamant he WILL break the Crucible Curse this year.
No first-time winner of the World Snooker Championship has retained the crown the following year at the famous Sheffield Theatre.
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The people who came closest to breaking the jinx were Joe Johnson (1987) and Ken Doherty (1998), who lost in the final 12 months after debut wins.
But Wilson, 33, believes his game is in great shape for the rest of the season despite losing to Shaun Murphy in the Masters final at Ally Pally this month.
Speaking ahead of opening against Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Wai at the German Masters in Berlin tomorrow, Wilson said: “My game is in fantastic shape.
“I have kicked-on since becoming a world champion. I haven’t let it burden me. I have used it to inspire me.
“I like to think there are many more trophies to come. I will give it my all. I will win the Worlds.
“I did not play well at the Masters. I was stuck in second or third gear all week. I’m capable of a hell of a lot more.
“I’ve got this inner steel. I love playing at the Crucible. It suits my game, it suits my personality. I know how tough it is to win a world championship.
“But a lot of players go missing after winning it. I feel like it has inspired me, it has made me push my chest out a little bit at events. It has given me that inner confidence.”
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Wilson has won three of his eight ranking titles in Berlin.
And he added: “It’s one of my favourite tournaments.
“It has a similar vibe to Ally Pally when it gets to the one-table set-up.”
