Mark Williams of Wales secured his first-ever Champion of Champions title by defeating Xiao Guodong of China 10-6 in a thrilling final in Bolton, England on Sunday.
Williams started strongly, quickly finding his rhythm and taking an early 2-0 lead. Xiao struggled in the initial frames, enduring an in-off and a failed safety in the second frame, while Williams exhibited his trademark composure.
With impressive breaks of 91 and 77, Williams extended his lead to 4-0. He capitalized on a rare safety error from Xiao in the fifth frame to further increase his advantage.
Xiao began to mount a comeback in the sixth frame with a calculated clearance, then scored the first century of the match in the seventh frame, narrowing the gap to 5-2. He continued his resurgence with breaks of 76 and 117, moving within one frame of leveling the match.
Williams responded emphatically in the tenth frame with a century break of 112, followed by a stunning 125 break and a total clearance in the thirteenth frame. Despite Xiao’s resilience, trimming the margin to 8-6 after fourteen frames, Williams maintained his lead.
In the fifteenth frame, after a tense safety exchange, Williams crafted a break of 95. He sealed his victory in the sixteenth frame with another brilliant clearance, ultimately lifting the trophy.
"I can’t believe I am still winning tournaments at my age. Winning this event today honestly feels unbelievable," Williams said. "Props to Xiao, who has been a great player throughout this tournament and a great finalist."
Reference(s):
Mark Williams defeats Xiao Guodong to win Champion of Champions title
cgtn.com
