World Snooker Championship: David Gilbert looking forward to ‘blow-out’ after reaching second round

Gilbert was in strong form at the Crucible on Sunday

David Gilbert advanced to the second round thanks to a 10-4 win (Getty Images)

David Gilbert is relishing the prospect of another epic “blow-out” after breezing into the second round of the World Snooker Championship with a 10-4 win over Chris Wakelin.

The former semi-finalist has admitted struggling through the last year on and off the table with the lockdown restrictions playing havoc with his regular post-event routine.

But the return of fans and the imminent further easing of restrictions has given Gilbert reasons to be cheerful - not to mention the three centuries and five further 50-plus breaks that saw him ease past Wakelin.

Gilbert said: “I’ve changed my routine from how it used to be - whether I did well or not I used to go out with the lads and enjoy myself and have a blow-out.

“I was just missing those blow-outs, and if I had two weeks off from a tournament I’d sit in my garage all night with my beer fridge and the disco ball on and let some steam off.

“I’m tee-total while I’m in this [tournament], but as soon as I’m out of it or I’ve won it I won’t be, don’t worry about that.”

Gilbert resumed 7-2 ahead of his close friend after a glittering first-day display, but Wakelin dug in to reduce the deficit with two half-centuries of his own in the first two frames upon the resumption.

But Gilbert finished off with a break of 84 to potentially book a second-round meeting with Judd Trump.

Successive century breaks from Yan Bingtao helped him ease past Martin Gould in the morning session.

Resuming at 4-4 from Saturday’s opening session, the reigning Masters champion dominated proceedings and breaks of 130 and 116 in frames 11 and 12 put him on the road to a 10-6 victory.

Anthony McGill holds a slender 5-4 advantage after the first session of his first-round match with Ricky Walden.

Walden posted successive centuries in a run of three frames in a row to go 3-2 in front before McGill hit back, scoring 119 and then an 88.

PA