Judd Trump Bested by Mark Williams in Race to World Snooker Championship Final
In a showdown between two former champions, Mark Williams of Wales triumphed over England's Judd Trump with a score of 17-14 in the semifinals of the World Snooker Championship held in Sheffield, England, on Saturday. This victory propels Williams...
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In a showdown between two former champions, Mark Williams of Wales triumphed over England's Judd Trump with a score of 17-14 in the semifinals of the World Snooker Championship held in Sheffield, England, on Saturday. This victory propels Williams into the final against Zhao Xintong from China.
The 50-year-old Williams started in a tough position, falling behind 7-3 early on. However, he managed to narrow the gap to 10-9 before winning four out of the next five frames, showcasing breaks of 73, 84, and 62, to take a 13-11 lead into the evening session.
Williams then extended his lead to 15-11 with breaks of 67 and 65, but Trump countered with his 106th century of the season, allowing him to close the gap before the mid-session interval. Just prior to the break, Williams produced a century of his own, placing him one frame away from securing victory.
Trump managed to keep hope alive by winning the 29th frame. In the 30th frame, Williams had a chance to finish off the match with a red to the middle but was unable to convert. Trump capitalized on this opening, achieving a clearance of 116 to take the frame.
World No. 1 Trump then had the chance to extend the match into a deciding 32nd frame after potting a remarkable red, but he missed a challenging thin black soon after. This gave Williams the opportunity to close out the match with a clearance of 123.
"I was starting to twitch towards the end, I'm not going to lie. I nearly missed the black in the last frame – I did feel a bit of tension on the back arm," Williams remarked. "I'm never normally nervous at any stage, but I was in that break. I can't believe I'm in another final – I don't know how I'm doing to be honest."
Having previously won the title in 2000, 2003, and 2018, Williams has now made history as the oldest World Championship finalist. He is set to face 28-year-old Zhao in his fifth final at the Crucible Theatre on Sunday.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
The 50-year-old Williams started in a tough position, falling behind 7-3 early on. However, he managed to narrow the gap to 10-9 before winning four out of the next five frames, showcasing breaks of 73, 84, and 62, to take a 13-11 lead into the evening session.
Williams then extended his lead to 15-11 with breaks of 67 and 65, but Trump countered with his 106th century of the season, allowing him to close the gap before the mid-session interval. Just prior to the break, Williams produced a century of his own, placing him one frame away from securing victory.
Trump managed to keep hope alive by winning the 29th frame. In the 30th frame, Williams had a chance to finish off the match with a red to the middle but was unable to convert. Trump capitalized on this opening, achieving a clearance of 116 to take the frame.
World No. 1 Trump then had the chance to extend the match into a deciding 32nd frame after potting a remarkable red, but he missed a challenging thin black soon after. This gave Williams the opportunity to close out the match with a clearance of 123.
"I was starting to twitch towards the end, I'm not going to lie. I nearly missed the black in the last frame – I did feel a bit of tension on the back arm," Williams remarked. "I'm never normally nervous at any stage, but I was in that break. I can't believe I'm in another final – I don't know how I'm doing to be honest."
Having previously won the title in 2000, 2003, and 2018, Williams has now made history as the oldest World Championship finalist. He is set to face 28-year-old Zhao in his fifth final at the Crucible Theatre on Sunday.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
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