Williams Clinches Spot in Final Against Xintong

SHEFFIELD: Mark Williams triumphed over Judd Trump in the World Snooker Championship semi-final with a 17-14 victory at the Crucible Theater on Saturday.

Despite trailing 7-3 in the initial stages, Williams reduced the deficit to 10-9. Subsequently, he captured four of the next five frames, highlighted by breaks of 73, 84, and 62, to establish a 13-11 lead by the conclusion of the morning session.

With breaks of 67 and 65, the Welshman extended his advantage to 15-11. Trump countered with his 106th century break of the season to close the gap, prompting a mid-session pause.

Williams then fired back with a century break of his own before the interval, bringing him within a single frame of victory.

Reflecting on the closely contested match, Williams admitted to almost missing a critical black ball in the final frame due to feeling ‘a bit of tension’.

“Towards the end, I was getting shaky, to be honest. I almost missed the black in the last frame – I definitely felt some pressure,” Williams stated.

“I’m usually quite composed, but I felt the nerves during that break. I still can’t believe I’m in another final – I’m honestly a bit shocked.”

The veteran World Snooker Championship finalist is set to face 28-year-old Zhao Xintong in the final showdown at the Crucible Theatre on Sunday.