Mark Williams produces one of snooker's all-time great clearances in Tour Championship win - 'A great dish'

Updated 03/04/2024 at 08:59 GMT

Mark Williams came back from the brink of an early exit at the 12-man Tour Championship in Manchester with one of the greatest match-winning clearances in a dramatic 10-9 victory over Tom Ford in the first round. Ford opened the door by missing a red leading 54-0 before Williams stepped in with an epic 66 break. "One of the best clearances I've ever made," said the Welshman.

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Mark Williams took snooker's version of Route 66 in completing one of the greatest clearances of all time to secure a quarter-final with Judd Trump at the Tour Championship in Manchester.

Having watched a resurgent Tom Ford hit back from 8-4 behind to force a decider in their first-round match on Tuesday night, a tiring Williams was suddenly on the brink of an early exit when the Leicester player led 54-0 only to miss an easy red in the final frame.

It seemed unlikely his error would cost Ford the match, with four of the remaining seven reds tied up on cushions - until the three-time world champion produced a miraculous 66 clearance that had to be seen to be believed, with the white ball resembling a pinball in the ground it had to cover.

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"I don't know how I did it, but that was one of the best clearances I've ever made," Williams told reporters.

"I took my eye off the red. It wasn't a twitch or anything. But that must be one of the best clearances I've ever seen," commented world No. 14 Ford, who produced four centuries in defeat.

"Five minutes and 46 seconds of absolute snooker genius," was how World Snooker Tour described the break on their social media output.

In the context of the match, perhaps as good as any break produced in the modern history of the sport with an array of glorious positional shots and wonderful pots crowned by an audacious pot at pace on the final blue along a baulk cushion that saw him land perfectly on the match-clinching pink.

"I would have to see it back again," said Williams, who also told ITV he was struggling with jet lag after returning from China ahead of the coveted 12-man event.

"I can't remember much about it. If there was anything on, I had to go for it. It's got to be up there. I know there was three or four reds on the cushion, blue was on the cushion.

"Anyway, was a great dish."

Williams next faces Judd Trump on Thursday for a semi-final place.

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