Old rivals fighting to take the final bite!

MARK WILLIAMS got off to a kebab-fuelled flier in the golden oldies final – and then had to choke on a John Higgins fightback.

The Welshman had a doner at 2.30am before this Betfred World Championship showpiece – still buzzing after a thrilling late Saturday night finish to an epic semi-final win over Barry Hawkins.

But up against four-time champion Higgins, Williams sprang out of the traps fastest yesterday in their best-of35-frames clash.

The contest brought together two of the three legends who all turned pro

26 years ago, the other being Ronnie O’Sullivan, who was watching the action unfold from the sidelines.

In the initial exchanges, Williams,

43, happily gobbled up sweets from a fan in the front row who handed him chocolates and wine gums.

Hammered

But despite surging 4-0 up, Williams was always braced for a fightback from Higgins, 42, during the evening session.

And it duly arrived as the winner of 30 ranking titles quickly put frames on the board, closing to 7-5 last night with the chance of making further inroads.

Ahead of the clash Williams, in his first Crucible final for 15 years, said: “I can’t believe I am back in a world final. Win or lose, it is my best season for years and I will be enjoying it.

“I remember playing John in something called the Mita World Masters when we were 15, he hammered me and won £5,000.

“Then I beat him a week later 4-0 in the final of the British juniors and only won £295.

“We have played each other since we were about 13, so to be playing in a Crucible final for the first time is incredible, even though we have played in the semis before.

“And if somehow I do win, I will stick to my word of doing the press conference naked.

“I’ll be sitting with nothing on and maybe holding one of these ice buckets in place.

“I have always felt overall Ronnie and John are ahead of me. But this season I have been the form player and very consistent.”

The 42-year-old O’Sullivan, a fivetime world champion, said: “These two are true gladiators of the sport, the best of the best – and this should probably be pay-per-view.

“We all pushed each other on to greater things, myself, John and Mark, I am sure of that.

“And the fact we are still competing shows it was the best era.

“For me, John is the best of the three of us.

“If you offered the pros a chance to swap their game, about 99.9 per cent of the tour would say, ‘Could I have John’s please?’.

“The contrast to how we came through with what happens with today’s juniors is something I have been thinking about.

“We were like Mexican boxers, tough boys who grew up fighting each other.

“So we were hardened even before we turned professional, and probably could have done that at 14.”