Mark Williams delivered an impressive performance to secure his spot in the final of the World Snooker Championship, defeating World No. 1, Judd Trump, in Sheffield.
The 50-year-old Williams aims to clinch his fourth title, which would make him the oldest champion in the tournament’s history. He managed to achieve his 10th century break in a 17-14 win at the Crucible, marking his return to the final after several years.
This veteran from Wales will be up against Zhao Xintong, a younger player, in a two-day final. Xintong, at 28 years old, overcame seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan with a score of 17-7 in the semi-finals on Friday.
“I can’t believe I’m in another final. The last two tournaments were difficult for me,” Williams remarked. “Honestly, I didn’t feel nervous, except maybe in the last few frames.”
Trump responded by saying, “I’m not too disappointed; I gave it my all. It wasn’t far off. At a crucial point, he made the important pots.”
Williams has faced challenges with his vision and is set for lens replacement surgery next month. He fell behind 7-3 early on in his second session but battled back to level the score at 8-8, winning five out of the eight frames played on Saturday morning and taking the lead at 13-11.
He continued strongly in the final session, starting with breaks of 67 and 65 to advance to 15-11. Although mid-session intervals were taken, after making his century, Williams needed just one more frame for victory. When play resumed, Trump seized the 29th frame, keeping his hopes alive, and then made a 116 clearance after Williams missed a red when he had a chance to seal the match.
Trump had the opportunity to apply more pressure after making a great red in frame 31, but he missed a difficult black, allowing Williams to wrap up the match stylishly with a clearance of 123.
Williams first won the world title in 2000, the same year Zhao was just three years old. His latest title came in 2018, during which he famously held his winner’s press conference in the nude, fulfilling a promise made earlier in the tournament.
“It’s unbelievable. I wasn’t even here 12 months ago; I watched it from my caravan,” Williams reflected, considering quitting the sport the previous year after a disappointing qualifying round.
Ronnie O’Sullivan believes Zhao has what it takes to become the first Chinese winner of the World Championship. Following his victory over O’Sullivan, Zhao’s rise to prominence has been remarkable. His journey to the Crucible final, which starts on Sunday and concludes on Monday, has garnered attention, especially after overcoming significant odds.
After a 20-month suspension due to involvement in a betting scandal, Zhao fought through four qualifying rounds to solidify his comeback, becoming only the second player from China to reach the world finals, following Ding Junhui, having defeated Jak Jones, Lei Peifan, Chris Wakelin, and O’Sullivan along the way.
Zhao, who plays as an amateur at Sheffield, displayed his talent against O’Sullivan, winning all eight frames in the morning session to seize a commanding 12-4 lead before finishing the job in the evening. O’Sullivan believes that Zhao winning the title would be beneficial for the sport.
“If he wins, it will be amazing. He’ll be a megastar, especially back in China. The final is going to be a real test for him,” he said.
