Trump outplayed, Trump fallen in snooker contest; Williams advances to tournament final
Sneaky Saturday at the Crucible: 50-year-old Mark Williams Secures Final Spot
Three-time champ Mark Williams, 50, snatched his way into this year's World Snooker Championship final, edging past Judd Trump 17-14 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, this weekend.
Williams now faces off against Zhao Xintong, China's surprise finalist, who knocked out seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the other semi-final. The best-of-35-frame showdown goes down tomorrow and today.
The silver-haired Welshman battled back from a four-frame deficit against the world number one Trump on Friday, concluding the day tied at 8-8.
Resuming Saturday, Williams seized control, standing on the brink of victory at 16-12. Trump, however, clawed back to within two frames after setting a tournament record with his 107th century break.
Despite the tightening tension, Williams maintained composure, sealing the 31st frame with a break of 123, booking his place in the world final for the first time since 2018.
"I was starting to feel the twitch towards the end, I ain't gonna lie," Williams said. "I nearly slipped up on the black in the last frame - I had a bit of tension in the back arm."
"I can't believe I'm back in another final - I don't know how I'm still knocking them in to be honest," added Williams.
Williams' Crucible form has been remarkable, despite his struggles with his eyesight at recent events.
"I really had trouble with my peepers in the past couple of tournaments and I've tried everything - contacts, varifocals," Williams said. "I left it for Lee [coach Lee Walker] to decide because he knows if I'm gonna pot 'em and how I'm connecting, and he said he thought I was better off going without them."
Trump showed sportsmanship in his loss, stating: "I didn't do much wrong, a few little safety blunders, it wasn't quite firing but it wasn't that far off. When you go up against someone as skilled as Mark, everything seems elevated."
Zhao, a 25-year-old Chinese prodigy, stunned the snooker world by dismantling England's O'Sullivan, widely regarded as the best player in history, 17-7 on Friday, earning his maiden world final appearance. Zhao squeezed through four qualifying rounds just to make it to the Sheffield main draw after a 20-month ban for involvement in a betting scandal[2].
Zhao bested Jak Jones, Lei Peifan, Chris Wakelin, and O'Sullivan to join Ding Junhui as the only Chinese players to reach the world final.
[1] - Mark James Williams' biography)
- In the opposition, Zhao Xintong, centuries-old Chinese prodigy, outperformed seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, marking his debut in the World Snooker Championship final.
- After sealing a 123 break in the 31st frame, 50-year-old Mark Williams demonstrated a steady composure, securing his spot in the final after a four-year absence.
- Despite his advancement to the World Snooker Championship final, Zhao Xintong, much like Mark Williams, faced challenging stages in his journey, earning his position through four qualifying rounds following a 20-month ban for a betting scandal.
