Mark Williams believes two legends of Welsh snooker will be watching over him as he takes on Zhao Xintong in the final of the 2025 World Snooker Championship.
Williams beat world No 1 Judd Trump 17-14 in a captivating semi-final to become the oldest finalist in Crucible history at the age of 50 and has 28-year-old rising Chinese star Zhao standing between him and a fourth world title.
Zhao got off to a flyer in the opening session of the final as he built a dominant 7-1 advantage ahead of nine more frames on Sunday evening, with 18 the target for victory.
The proud Welshman fighting back to claim the crown would end a poignant 12 months for the sport in the country on a high after six-time world champion Ray Reardon died last July and 1979 winner Terry Griffiths passed away in December.
They were both icons of the sport and Williams is keen to honouring them by lifting the trophy, while he believes both may give him a helping hand.
“Obviously they are two legends of Welsh sport and I’m playing in the final,” Williams said ahead of the final.
“Maybe I’ve got Griffiths on one shoulder and Ray on the other, willing me on. It’s funny how things happen.
“It would be nice to win it [this year], obviously for myself and them as well because they’re the reason most of us young Welsh people are playing snooker, so fingers crossed.”
Williams won his first World Championship a full 25 years ago in 2000 before adding a second crown in 2003 and then a shock third in 2018 at the age of 43.
That was the year he famously conducted his winning press conference naked – apart from a towel – to fulfil a promise made earlier in the tournament when he wrote off his chances. He also went on a months-long celebration after that triumph but insists there won’t be a repeat of either occurrence this time.
“Not at all. My little thing is staying in my trousers,” he smiled, referencing the naked press conference. “Last time I won it I went on a nice bender for about six months but if I manage to win this one I’m not even going to celebrate.
“I’m not even going to do any exhibitions, just going to chill out, play a lot of golf, go to China and do some promotional stuff. Either way really, if I win it or lose it.”
Zhao is playing in his first Crucible final after returning to the sport following a 20-month ban for his part in a match-fixing scandal – where he was punished for being party to matches being fixed and betting on matches but didn’t throw any matches himself.
Despite competing as an amateur since returning from his ban last September, he blasted his way through four rounds of qualifying, cut a swathe through the field at the Crucible and then thrashed seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 17-7 in their semi-final with a session to spare.
“There’s going to be a few nerves but if you look at him, watch him walk around the table he doesn’t look like he’s got a nerve in his body so I don’t think the occasion is going to bother him,” Williams said of Zhao.
“Just look at the way he dismantled Ronnie O’Sullivan. I know he didn’t play very well, but who the hell beats him with a session to spare at the Crucible?
“For Xintong it must be like playing his grandfather in the final. I’ll be hobbling around there for two days and he’ll just be running around like a little whipper-snapper.
“I read the other day it could be the changing of the guard coming through and it probably is. It would be brilliant if he won the world title for China and the sport in general, but not just yet.”
