Williams: I’ve found top form
MARK WILLIAMS won the German Masters last night to claim a 20th ranking title and revive memories of when he ruled the world.
Williams demolished Graeme Dott 9-1 in Berlin’s Tempodrom as Wales handed out a second sporting thrashing of the weekend to Scotland.
Earlier this season world No.10 Williams ended a near seven-year title drought by winning the Northern Irish Open in Belfast. And last night’s victory means Williams has won two ranking titles in the same season for the first time since 2002-03 – when he cleaned up in the majors.
The renaissance is also a triumph for Williams’ recent link up with SightRight coaching led by Steve Feeney – a system he used to mock as “SightWrong”.
After a second German Masters title that earned £80,000, Williams, 42, said: “I played well all week, and I have played well all season.
“What more can you ask – to be in a big final in this arena, something every player should experience at least once.
“I was talking about packing it in last year but fellow player Lee Walker pestered me to go and speak to SightRight and Steve Feeney. Eventually I gave in – and it has turned my career around.
“I am playing 100 times better than a few years ago but it’s no coincidence, a lot of hard work has gone in.”
Ex-world champ Dott, in a first ranking final for eight years, had a mountain to climb after trailing 7-1 from a poor afternoon session.
The 40-year-old from Glasgow said: “I played Mark at his best in the late 1990s, and he is playing as well now as he did then.”