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The UK Championship would be the perfect place for Kyren Wilson to kickstart his season. Following his shock defeat in the first round of the World Championship, the 2024 Crucible king came flying out of the blocks, winning the prestigious Shanghai Masters in the summer. However, personal issues then took over, with his wife, Sophie, suffering from ill health.

With Sophie now on the mend, Wilson is hoping to return to the stunning form he produced as world champion in 2024/25. "It's been up and down so far," he says of the current campaign. "I couldn't have started any better, winning in Shanghai. But then it's been a bit quiet for me. I've had a few things going on off the table, some family health issues.

"It's been extremely hard [to focus]. In hindsight, I wish I'd taken a month off but it's not in me to do that. I want to keep playing and keep trying to win.

"My family are prepared to make those sacrifices with me. It's been tough but, touch wood, we're slowly getting over that. Hopefully, I can get back to focusing on snooker and the results will start coming again."

While his record at the UK Championship is modest, it remains one of Wilson's favourite tournaments, especially in recent years since the event adopted its current 32-player format, similar to the World Championship.

"I love it, it's one of my favourite places to go on the tour," he says. "I've only experienced the one-table set-up [from the semi-finals] there once but, oh my goodness, it becomes spectacular with the one-table set-up.

"The Barbican, with all the history surrounding it, I really enjoy it. It's become a better tournament with the two tables in the main arena. Previously, it was a bit of a circus with all the tables backstage. It's now got more of a showbusiness feel."

Wilson begins his quest for a maiden UK Championship campaign against Elliot Slessor on Tuesday night. Monday's action saw former winner Mark Allen crash out in the first round after a 6-1 loss to world number 52 Scott Donaldson.

Allen was far from his best in an error-strewn encounter, mustering only two half-centuries and gifting his opponent victory after missing a brown in the seventh frame. Donaldson, who had lost nine of his previous 10 meetings with the Northern Irishman, held his nerve to pot the four remaining colours and clinch one of the best wins of his career.

Zhang Anda reeled off three frames in a row to edge Gary Wilson 6-5, while there were earlier wins for two more Chinese players, world champion Zhao Xintong and three-time UK champion Ding Junhui.