World champion Kyren Wilson wanted medical consideration for a nosebleed throughout his 10-5 defeat to Ding Junhui within the quarter-finals of the Tour Championship.
Trailing 5-1, Wilson was compelled to depart the auditorium in Manchester and play was suspended for nearly half-hour.
When he ultimately returned to the desk, the Englishman joked: “I assumed there was a crimson over the pocket,” earlier than lacking a protracted pot and watching Ding clear up with a break of 80.
“It was a nightmare. I believe it was simply exhaustion,” Wilson later mentioned on ITV 4.
“I went deep within the Gamers Championship after which had three back-to-back exhibitions after that.
“In hindsight it’s most likely a great factor. It will give me two weeks to knuckle down and get a little bit of relaxation and prepare for the World Championships.”
Wilson’s Crucible marketing campaign will start on 19 April, the opening Saturday of the 17-day event.
China’s Ding compiled six half-centuries and a century to dominate, at one stage reeling off eight consecutive frames earlier than sealing victory to arrange a semi-final assembly with Mark Selby on Friday (13:00 BST).
Having led 7-1 in a single day in opposition to Neil Robertson, four-time world champion Selby made gentle work of finishing a convincing 10-1 win over the Australian.
The Leicester man took all three frames on Thursday and ended the match with breaks of 124 and 123.
In the meantime, the resurgent type of Scotland’s John Higgins continued as he triumphed 10-3 in opposition to China’s Xiao Guodong.
The 49-year-old, who gained his first rating title for 4 years in March on the World Open, will tackle Barry Hawkins within the final 4, beginning concurrently the Ding v Selby match.
“It has given me a bit extra perception in my recreation,” mentioned Higgins of his current title. “The massive gamers are profitable a number of occasions in the course of the yr. That is what I’m striving to do.
“I nonetheless wish to compete with all the most effective gamers on this planet. If I ever lose that, I’ve obtained no probability.”
