Mark Williams backs up Masters run with win at World Grand Prix, Mark Selby crashes out to Noppon Saengkham
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Updated 17/01/2023 at 17:16 GMT
There was no wallowing in his Masters disappointment for Mark Williams, as the Welshman moved on from his final loss to Judd Trump with a comfortable 4-1 win over Jamie Jones in Cheltenham. Williams hit three centuries as he carried over his form from Alexandra Palace. Mark Selby, however, went out with a shock loss to Noppon Saengkham, and labelled the best-of-seven format "cut-throat".
'I'm still giving these youngsters a run for their money!' - Williams on Masters near-miss
Mark Williams backed up his run to the Masters final with a first-round win over Jamie Jones at the World Grand Prix, but Mark Selby was dumped out by Noppon Saengkham.
Williams would have no doubt been disappointed to lose out to Judd Trump so narrowly at Alexandra Palace last Sunday, but he did not show it as he took three straight frames from 1-1 to progress.
The Welshman was never behind in the encounter, having taken the first with a consummate break of 104.
It was an ominous sign for Jones, but to his credit he bounced back in the next after Williams missed a red. Jones got far enough ahead to leave his illustrious opponent needing a snooker, but ultimately Jones managed to sink the final red and draw level.
However, it was one-way traffic from there in favour of Williams.
The Welshman was on course for another ton in frame three after cashing in on a Jones mistake, and though his run was stopped at 82, it was more than plenty to take a 2-1 lead.
If he missed out on a century there, he was not to be denied thereafter as he zipped around the table to take himself one frame from victory.
And when Jones missed a red to the middle in the next, Williams was once again ruthless when he came to the table, hitting a spectacular 121 - his third ton in five frames - to take the match in style.
Recent English Open champion Selby could not have got off to a worse start, going two frames before even potting a ball as Saengkham impressed, streaking into a 2-0 lead.
Selby belatedly found some rhythm in frame three, halving his arrears, but he was once again behind in the scoreline as the fourth got underway, as the Thai got 75-36 ahead leaving Selby needing two snookers.
The Englishman got one, and then the second, as a frame that looked lost was suddenly winnable again. But Saengkham came through, putting him one frame from the last 16.
And any hopes of a Selby fightback were extinguished as Saengkham showed his killer instinct to compile a fine century break in the next and seal his victory, in the event's latest shock.
Speaking afterwards to ITV Sport, Selby said: "I probably made two or three safety mistakes, and that's cost me really.
"I didn't really miss too many shots in the balls, every time Noppon got a chance he punished me well.
"These best-of-sevens are cut-throat, you don't really have to do too much wrong as you've seen there.
"They're a spin of a coin sometimes."
Elsewhere, Ding Junhui was in clinical form as he whitewashed Stuart Bingham 4-0, while Ryan Day saw off Ricky Walden 4-1.
Ding rounded off the encounter with an excellent 133, setting up a mouthwatering last-16 match with Williams.
Day went 3-0 up with some solid snooker to threaten a whitewash, and although Walden got one back, he did not have enough to push the tie any further.
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