Mark Williams Scores 20th Ranking Title with German Masters Double

Mark Williams dominated Graeme Dott to claim the 2018 German Masters crown in fine style with a resounding 9-1 victory in Berlin on Sunday.

The Welshman rarely looked troubled and, after a relatively even early exchange, proceeded to pummel the Scotsman in a thoroughly one-sided affair.

The victory for Williams represents the 20th ranking event success of his illustrious career, making him only the fifth player in history to reach the milestone, and he also becomes the first player to capture the German Masters twice having previously tasted glory at the Tempodrom in the inaugural edition back in 2011.

Dott, who fought superbly throughout the tournament, escaping with a triumph in his four prior rounds in typically tenacious fashion, was featuring in a first showdown of such status since the 2010 World Championship and there were times that his lengthy spell away from the big-time showed.

The 40 year-old never really looked as though he was going mount a challenge but will perhaps rue the fourth frame when, after recording a fine 64 clearance to pinch the third and get on the scoreboard at 1-2, the 2006 world champion had a brilliant chance to level at the mid-session interval.

But Dott let his brief opening slip by him as Williams potted blue, pink, and black for a 3-1 lead and the cushion just continued to grow thereafter.

Williams, who broke a six-year barren spell in ranking events with his triumph in the Northern Ireland Open last November, appeared cool, composed, and fully in control of the conditions and the moment.

The 42 year-old knocked in runs of 79, 66, and 110 to establish a 7-1 advantage after the first session and wasted little time in the evening’s play when he reeled off further breaks of 66 and 50 to complete one of his most comfortable finals.

Williams acknowledged the influence of the Sight Right coaching programme, led by Steve Feeney, and it’s hard to argue with the results of those drills that have clearly got his game back in shape.

The two-time world champion has now won a brace of ranking titles in the same season for the first time in 15 years and he also collected the Six Red World Championship last summer in addition.

Williams will rise back up to seventh in the world rankings and will undoubtedly prove to be a dark horse come the Crucible time in April, where he hasn’t won since 2003.

For Dott, defeat and especially the manner in which he fell will surely hurt but overall it was a terrific week for the Pocket Dynamo and it was great to see him back fighting for the silverware again after so many years in the doldrums.

Whether he will be able to build from this remains to be seen but he has made it clear again that, on his day, he can still be a match for most on the tour.

Of course, this wasn’t one of his better days and Williams duly took advantage for a memorable victory at one of the great snooker settings inside the Tempodrom arena.