Header Ads Widget

Mark Williams shocks Judd Trump to set up Final against Zhao Xintong

Poker Club tháng 5 03, 2025

 'The Welsh Potting Machine' Mark Williams shocks Judd Trump to reach the World Snooker Championship final where he will play Ronnie O'Sullivan's conqueror Zhao Xintong


Mark Williams is on course to land his fourth World Snooker Championship at the age of 50

Veteran Mark Williams shocked Judd Trump to reach the World Snooker Championship final against Sheffield-based Zhao Xintong and remain on course for a fourth title.

Williams, who won the title in 2000, 2003, and 2018, secured a famous 17-14 victory against world No 1 Trump to return to a fifth Crucible final.

The Welshman will take on Zhao eight years after they faced each other in round one of the qualifying event.

 Williams, who was 7-3 down earlier in the match, found himself 10-9 behind when Trump responded to losing the opening frame on Saturday morning with back-to-back breaks of 71.

However, the 50-year-old Welshman then won four of the next five frames with the aid of breaks of 73, 84 and 62, with only a superb 64 from Trump in frame 23 preventing the damage from being even worse to take a 13-11 lead heading into the evening session.

The left-hander carried on where he left off in the final session with breaks of 67 and 65 to move 15-11 ahead, before Trump hit back with his 106th century of the season to close the gap.

That ensured a mid-session interval would be required but Williams went into the break needing just one frame for victory after responding with a century of his own.

When play resumed Trump took the 29th frame to keep his hopes alive and also won the next with a 116 clearance after Williams missed a red to the middle with his first chance to seal victory.

Trump had the chance to pile on the pressure after a superb red to the middle in frame 31, but missed a difficult thin black and Williams grabbed the opportunity in style with a clearance of 123 to seal victory.


Williams won his first world title in 2000 - when Zhao was just three years old - and his most recent in 2018, when he famously conducted his winning press conference naked - apart from a towel - to fulfil a promise made earlier in the tournament.

"It's unbelievable. Twelve months ago I wasn't even here. I watched it in a caravan," Williams said at the time, having contemplated quitting the sport the previous year after losing in the final round of qualifying.

 

Đăng nhận xét

0 Nhận xét