Snooker Shoot Out 2021 - Mark Williams leaves it late to beat Xiao Guodong with last-second red
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Updated 07/02/2021 at 20:05 GMT
The Snooker Shoot Out is still waiting for a player to defend the title, as Michael Holt tasted defeat at the hands of Matthew Stevens on Saturday evening. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh took victory in 2019 and he is still in contention to lift the trophy at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes after beating Hamim Hussain.
Snooker shout out : Mark Williams interview
Image credit: Eurosport
Mark Williams showed timing is everything, as he potted a red just as the clock ticked down to zero to beat Xiao Guodong 29-28 to reach the last 16 of the Snooker Shoot Out.
The pair were locked together in the final two minutes of the match and a bout of safety looked certain to set up a blue ball shoot out.
However, Xiao was a little lax with a safety with 10 seconds left on the clock and Williams ran to the table, albeit more in hope than expectation as the balls were still moving as time ticked down.
The cue ball came to rest with three seconds left and Williams settled himself over the shot before striking the white as the clock ticked to zero.
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'What a finish!' - Williams runs round table to snatch victory with buzzer beater
The rules stipulate that the final shot counts if the ball was struck before zero, and the red dropped into the bottom-left pocket to secure victory for the three-time world champion.
“I can’t believe he didn’t roll the ball onto the cushion as the time would have run out,” Williams told Eurosport. “He played a safety and a red went up into baulk.
“I looked at it and thought if I pot it, I win. I was counting down the clock, five, four, three, two, one and then I hit it and it went in.”
Williams is a fan of the event, although he feels ranking points should not be available.
“I always enjoy it,” he said. “I played it when it wasn’t a ranking tournament. I don’t enjoy it as much as my kids enjoy it, but it is good fun.
I think everyone enjoys it. It is we just don’t believe it should be a ranking tournament."
Williams is easing himself into the tournament, having admitted to being nervous ahead of his first match.
“It was only the first match I was nervous,” he said. “That match, not at all, not even the last red. For whatever reason, I was bricking it in the first game.”
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'This is getting ridiculous' – Top 10 flukes of Shoot Out
Liang Wenbo fouled the pink with the rest and it cost him dear as David Gilbert stepped in with a big break to claim a 107-7 win.
Mark Selby benefited from a couple of easy misses from Liam Highfield to advance to the last 16 with a 58-17 win.
The 2019 winner Thepchaiya Un-Nooh powered into the last 16 with an impressive win over Hamim Hussain.
Thepchaiya made a circumspect start, but seized his opening in some style as a break of 91 secured a 96-0 win.
Noppon Saengkham got the better of crafty Ken Doherty 37-27 to join his fellow Thailand star Thepchaiya in the fourth round, while 2011 finalist Robert Milkins knocked in an impressive break of 66 in his 74-10 win over Matthew Stevens.
A break of 53 enabled Louis Heathcote to get the better of Michael White 82-9, while Lyu Haotian pounced in the final 60 seconds to beat Haydon Pinhey 37-33.
Former world number six Ryan Day is looking to climb back up the rankings after a period in the wilderness, and he produced a break of 71 in his win over Ben Hancorn.
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