Williams turns back the clock to beat Selby in thrilling comeback

It may be 20 years since Mark Williams first lifted the Dafabet Masters trophy but the Welsh wizard is adamant there is life in the old dog yet after a thrilling first-round win, writes Charlie Bennett.

Two-time winner Williams beat world No 1 Mark Selby 6-5 on the opening day at the Alexandra Palace in a topsy-turvy battle that saw the 42-year-old come back from 5-3 down to win.

It’s the latest highlight of an impressive season from Williams, who has enjoyed a renaissance and won his first ranking event title for six years at the Northern Ireland Open in November.

“It was an excellent game all round, it was an excellent occasion to play in,” said Williams, pictured, who lost 6-5 to Selby at the same stage a year ago.

“If I had lost 6-3, which it looked like I could at one stage, I could have no grumbles but I pulled myself together and came back to beat the world No 1. It is a great win for me. It started well but I know being two or three frames up against Mark means nothing, from 2-0 up I was 4-2 down and I did not pot one ball.” Williams goes on to face either Barry Hawkins or Kyren Wilson in the quarter-finals, while Selby heads home to reflect on a gutwrenching loss.

He said: “Mark did what he does best and pulled out a ridiculous clearance at the end. It is a tough one to take.” ● Watch the London Masters live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Neil Robertson, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.