Eyes on the prize as Mark Williams overcomes Wu Yize in Crucible thriller

By Mark Staniforth, PA

Mark Williams was forced to dredge up every ounce of his Crucible experience to sink rising Chinese star Wu Yize 10-8 and book his place in the last 16 of the World Snooker Championship for the 22nd time in his career.

Williams, who turned 50 last month, delivered two near-faultless final frames to hold off his opponent, who had missed a golden chance to seize a 9-7 advantage when he missed a frame-ball red with the rest.

The Welshman’s win was all the more remarkable given his ongoing battle with failing eyesight.  Williams said his eyes had “completely gone” after defeat to Ding Junhui in the Players’ Championship in March, and he is understood to be considering surgery.

The 21-year-old Wu, one of the audacious stars of China’s latest generation of cueists, had gripped onto Williams’ coat-tails after resuming 5-4 behind on Sunday, and when he nudged in front in the 15th frame the momentum appeared to have shifted in his favour.

Instead his lapse in concentration in the 16th frame cost him dear, Williams using all his guile to pull level before brilliantly-crafted breaks of 58 and 75 got him over the line.

“Some of the balls he can pot is incredible and he’s got the ability to win this tournament, no question,” Williams said of Wu afterwards. “But I got stronger towards the end and if I can’t outscore or outpot him, I suppose I can outwit him.”

Mark Allen also had to dig deep to chisel out a 5-4 overnight advantage against China’s world number 46 Fan Zhengyi.

Qualifier Fan – who was beaten 10-5 by the Antrim man in the same round two years ago – made a blazing start, winning the first three frames including breaks of 89 and 103, before the eighth seed belatedly stirred.

A century of his own followed by two more breaks over 50 pulled Allen level, and after the pair split the two frames, Allen stepped up to nudge through a scrappy ninth and give him a slender advantage for when they return to play to a conclusion on Monday afternoon.

Earlier, the Chinese surge had showed no sign of abating as Xiao Guodong and Zhao Xintong produced impressive displays on the second morning of tournament.

Xiao followed compatriot Lei Peifan – who stunned defending champion Kyren Wilson on Saturday night – into the last 16 after completing a 10-4 victory over qualifier Matt Selt.

Meanwhile Zhao, having battled through four qualifying rounds as he continues his comeback from a ban related to a betting scandal, built a 7-2 lead after the first session of his first-round clash with last year’s runner-up Jak Jones.

Xiao, returning to the Crucible after a seven-year absence, saw his 7-2 overnight lead over Selt cut to three frames before pulling away to secure a victory and a potential second-round clash against former champion John Higgins.

Zhao, meanwhile, was in devastating form against Jones, who will need a miracle if he is to keep alive his hopes of repeating his surprise run to last year’s final when they return to play to a conclusion on Monday.

The Welshman missed too many early opportunities, including a black off its spot, and was mercilessly punished by Zhao, who fired a 142 clearance in the fifth frame and five more breaks over 70 as he moved to the brink of the last 16.

 

Jones did manage to capitalise on a rare Zhao miss to clinch the last frame of the session with a break of 70, but it is unlikely to be enough to stop Zhao sealing a second-round clash with Wilson’s conqueror Lei.

Xiao, at 36 one of the elder statesmen of the new generation of Chinese talent, said he was “proud” of their success, adding: “To have 10 Chinese players at the Crucible is amazing. I see them coming to the UK and as an older player I try to help them. In the future there will be many more young talents.”