Mark Williams said it was “incredible” to become the oldest World Snooker Championship semi-finalist in 40 years.
The Welshman edged old rival John Higgins 13-12 in a Crucible classic on Wednesday that ended on the final black in the deciding frame.
Resuming their match for the third session with the scores locked at 8-8, Williams initially took advantage of several mistakes from his esteemed opponent to move 12-8 in front.
But after the mid-session interval, the three-time champion barely had a sniff as Higgins responded in trademark fashion – winning four frames on the spin to force the decider.
Both players had several opportunities in the 25th frame, but it looked as though Higgins was going to prevail when he got in again with a fine pot on the final red.
The four-time world champion, however, rattled a match-clinching blue, with Williams returning to the table to sink the three remaining colours and advance in the competition instead.
The 50 year-old entered the 2025 World Snooker Championship expressing concerns about his ailing eyesight.
Yet a couple of determined victories over Wu Yize and Hossein Vafaei sent him through to the last eight, where he again played to a high standard to pip an in-form Higgins in front of an electric atmosphere inside the famous Crucible arena.
In doing so, Williams becomes the oldest player since countryman Ray Reardon in 1985 to reach the semi-finals in Sheffield.
“It has to be up there,” Mark Williams told the World Snooker Tour in his post-match interview.
“You know, I played good to go 12-8 up from 8-8, and I didn’t to anything wrong to come back to 12-12.”
“I think I only potted two balls, he was just coming back like a train. It was fitting, I suppose, that the last frame wasn’t a one-frame visit.
“It was edgy with a couple of balls missed, and somehow it went to the black ball.
“I potted an unbelievable blue to be honest – it was a lot harder than it probably looked on the TV.
“I’ve gone for it full-blooded, and it’s come absolutely perfect on the pink. What a game, what an atmosphere.
“I think the crowd was unbelievable – the standing ovation probably helped me get through it a bit.
“I had a lot of support out there, and it helped massively.
“Obviously we’re getting on a bit, and we’ve given a lot back to the sport. Both of use have been pretty decent ambassadors for the sport.
“We try and grow it, and I think the crowd appreciates that. They’re watching and don’t know if we’re going to play each other many more times.
“When you’ve got a match like that, the support was unbelievable – I mean even for John as well. What an atmosphere that was.
“I definitely appreciated it. When you’re walking in, and there’s a standing ovation before you break off, and you’ve got to take another five-to-ten seconds because they are still on their feet, you have to take it in.
“It’s only ever happened a couple of times in my whole career – that was the Masters decider (versus Higgins in 2022) and this one.
“Even when he was potting balls, I was sat on the other end, and I was just looking around and thinking, ‘what an arena’.
“I was just telling myself to enjoy it, and that’s what I done. Luckily enough, I’ve come out and won on the black.
“But you know, I would have enjoyed that if I lost.”
In the semi-finals, Mark Williams awaits the winner of the quarter-final tie between Judd Trump and Luca Brecel.
Zhao Xintong is into the last four on the opposite side of the draw after completing a 13-5 victory over Chris Wakelin.
The Chinese cueist, competing under amateur status as he continues his comeback from a ban, will face either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Si Jiahui.
For the full 2025 World Snooker Championship draw, results, and schedule, click here.
Featured photo credit: WST
I’m beginning to wonder if Williams eyesight is quite as bad as he’s letting on! That said, I think he’s not playing as well as he did in 2022, especially in the scoring department. His matchplay was crucial to outfoxing the one-paced pair of Vafaei and Wu. However, Williams did find extra gears in the scoring department against Higgins. As a Ronnie fan, I was a bit miffed not to see more of the final session, although witnessed a cracking decider. This and the Wilson/Lei match have been the best so far.
Williams, playing in his 12th quarter-final, reaches and eight semi. His first since 2022.
Williams now leads Higgins 5-1 in Crucible matches.
Zhao becomes the third Chinese semi-finalists after Si Jiahui and Ding Junhui. He’s won a match of incredibly low quality though. The amount of misses from both men was staggering. Zhao’s tendency to miss easy balls to the middle pockets was rarely punished by an opponent who didn’t make a break over 50 after frame one.
Zhao compiled 12 centuries in the qualifiers but has made only one at the Crucible. I thought it would be inevitable if he made the last four that Ding’s record for centuries (18) in a single World Championship would be superceded.
O’Sullivan delivered probably his worst session this morning, so to get out 10-6 up can be seen as a positive outcome.