World Championship: Williams and O’Sullivan hit top gear to shine at Crucible

Ronnie O’Sullivan likened the first round of the Betfred World Championship to the opening corner in Formula One.

The six-time champion predicted carnage before a ball was pocketed at this year’s tournament, such was the draw which saw the likes of Ding Junhui and Stephen Maguire – both experienced campaigners at the Crucible – emerge from the qualifiers.

So the biggest shock in Sheffield came when there was no shocks – apart from a stray pigeon which somehow found its way into the Crucible arena yesterday afternoon. Of the top 16 seeds, only three –Barry Hawkins, Shaun Murphy and Luca Brecel –fell at the first hurdle.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Unlike F1 drivers, who are largely dependent on the car beneath them, snooker players rely totally on talent, and O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams – think green baize rather than the starting grid for this ‘Class of 92’ trio – continue to be three of the sport’s leading men.

Mark Williams in action against  Jackson Page. Picture: PA.Mark Williams in action against  Jackson Page. Picture: PA.
Mark Williams in action against Jackson Page. Picture: PA.

Welshman Williams lapped his second-round opponent, and training partner, Jackson Page 13-3 to book his 11th quarter-final place in Sheffield.

His six tons equalled the record for the most century breaks in a best-of-25 match at the Crucible, as he wrapped up victory with a session to spare. For good measure, he also added eight further breaks of 50-plus

“I don’t think I can play any better than that at my age,” admitted Williams, appearing at the Crucible for the 24th time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And many in the sport believe Williams has the game – and the temperament – to add a fourth world title, after previously emerging victorious from the 17-day marathon in 2000, 2003 and 2018.

Yan Bingtao against Mark Selby. Picture: PA.Yan Bingtao against Mark Selby. Picture: PA.
Yan Bingtao against Mark Selby. Picture: PA.

“Lee Walker has been doing a bit of work to my game, picking it apart and putting it back together again.

“Players these days don’t just roll the ball, they punch it. We’ve been trying a few different things with my technique including hitting the ball a bit harder and making more breaks.

“Us older players have got to adapt our games in order to keep up with the younger ones.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I know I’m going to fall down the rankings eventually, so I’m doing all I can to ensure I can stay up the top for as long as possible. I knew coming here that I got a chance at the title because I’ve played well for most of the season.”

Resuming with a 7-1 overnight advantage, Williams showed no mercy to 20-year-old Page, who trains at his club in Tredegar.

“It’s a difficult one for me, beating Jackson with a session to spare,” explained Williams. “But I played well and kept him under pressure for the vast majority of the match.

“I was in the same position last year, losing to Selby with a session to spare. It’s a learning curve and it’s all about how you can bounce back from it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I wanted to go out there and destroy him, like I do with everyone else I play. I feel a little bit disappointed for him because he wanted to have a better performance than that. I didn’t give him many chances. I don’t think he’ll be too disheartened by it.”

O’Sullivan also has one foot in the last eight after establishing a 12-4 lead over Mark Allen. The six-time champion needs just one more frame when they resume this afternoon.

Higgins cues off his second-round match tomorrow against Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham.

Two players hoping to challenge the ‘Class of 92’ trio are Sheffield-based Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The duo – who train at the city’s Victoria’s Academy – both resume their second-round matches this morning in contrasting positions.

Yan, 22, last season’s Masters winner, is locked at 4-4 with defending champion Mark Selby. Their match was briefly interupted when a pigeon made a surprise appearance, swooping down and settling on the table, before being ushered out. Tournament officials later confirmed it had been captured and released unharmed.

But UK Championship winner Zhao faces a tough task to reach the quarter-finals, with Maguire needing just two more frames after surging into an 11-5 overnight lead.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.