Mark Williams joins Ray Reardon in snooker golden list as Mark Selby salutes British Open winner – 'He's amazing'
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ByEurosport
Published 02/10/2023 at 12:41 GMT
Mark Williams claimed the British Open title with a 10-7 victory against Mark Selby in Cheltenham on Sunday. The three-time world champion joins Selby in travelling to Brentwood in Essex for the English Open, the fourth ranking event of the campaign live on Eurosport and discovery+ this week. "I’m going to keep going until I can’t play anymore," said Williams after a 25th ranking triumph.
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Mark Williams became the second oldest winner of a snooker ranking event when he lifted the British Open for a third time with a 10-7 win over Mark Selby in Cheltenham on Sunday.
The three-time world champion led from start to finish in claiming his 25th career ranking triumph at the Centaur after Selby had threatened to spoil the party after closing to 5-4 from 5-1 behind and 8-7 from 8-5 down in the evening session.
Williams became the second oldest winner of a major ranking title behind fellow Welsh icon Ray Reardon, the six-time world champion, who lifted the Professional Players Tournament in 1982.
Williams produced breaks of 110, 55, 75, 133 and 66 to capture the trophy for a second time in three years and a £100,000 winner's cheque that sees him move up to ninth in the latest provisional world ranking list.
“He played amazing today," said Selby, who compiled knocks of 59, 98, 73, 112 and 68. "I can’t remember him missing too many long balls. Some of the balls he potted, he was doing that all the time when he was at his peak.
"He was rolling back the years today. It wasn’t to be. I felt I was fighting against it all day.”
Selby begins the defence of his English Open title live on Eurosport and discovery+ when he faces Xing Zihao on Tuesday afternoon at 1pm after the schedule was updated.
Williams intends to build on his success while he is finding peaking form at the table. He returns to action at the English Open on Tuesday night against Ian Burns at 7pm.
“I was more than happy with 24 ranking titles," said Williams, who also lifted the British Open in 1997 and 2021. "If you want me to be truthful, I didn’t think I was going to get off it. I’m on 25 and that is an unbelievable feeling. Maybe I’m a bit too harsh on myself.
"Maybe I do deserve to pat myself on the back a bit. Off the back of this maybe I’m a bit better than I give myself credit for as a snooker player.
“I’m going to keep going until I can’t play anymore. How long I can keep going at this level, I don’t know.
"I’ve always wanted to see where I am at 50. I’m 49 in a few months time, so I’m not far away and I’ve just won a tournament.
"Let’s just enjoy the ride while I’m still going.”
Oldest ranking event winners of all time
- 1. Ray Reardon (Wal) 50 years and 14 days – Won 1982 Professional Players Tournament 10-5 v Jimmy White
- 2. Mark Williams (Wal) 48 years and 194 days – Won 2023 British Open 10-7 v Mark Selby
- 3. Joe Perry (Eng) 47 years and 205 days – Won 2022 Welsh Open 9-5 v Judd Trump
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Stream the 2023 English Open live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
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