The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Welsh veteran Williams holds off Higgins to claim his third Crucible title
Third title for Welshman as Scot comes up just short
Mark Williams held off a ferocious fightback from John Higgins to clinch his third World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield last night.
The 43-year-old added to his 2000 and 2003 triumphs to become the oldest world champion since 45-year-old Ray Reardon’s 1978 success.
The Welshman won seven frames in a row yesterday afternoon to take a 14-7 lead but Scot Higgins came back magnificently to take eight of the next nine and level at 15-15.
However, Williams responded in style to secure an 18-16 victory.
Williams said: “It’s unbelievable. Twelve months ago I wasn’t even here. I watched it in a caravan.
“I was seriously thinking of giving up, but my wife Joanne said I can’t sleep in the house 24 hours a day.”
At one stage in yesterday’s afternoon session Williams looked as though he could cross the winning line without needing to return in the evening.
That did not materialise but by stretching his lead from 10-7 overnight to an even more commanding 15-10, the 43-year-old Welshman was just three frames away from the winning line.
Williams reeled off the first four frames of the afternoon as Higgins scored just 31 points.
But it was a different story after the mid-session interval as four-time champion Higgins finally found some fluency as he attempted to avoid a second Crucible final defeat in a row, having lost out to Mark Selby last year.
The last Crucible final to finish with a session to spare was in 1993 when Stephen Hendry beat Jimmy White.
The slim possibility of another unusually early finish was ended by Higgins winning the first frame after the resumption, with a break of 67 sparing him from what would have been an embarrassing scenario.
Higgins was suddenly right back to his best, and a 72 clearance won him the 23rd frame after Williams had opened with a run of 65.
The Crucible spectators were anticipating a moment of history in the next, as Higgins chased what would have been the first 147 maximum break in a World Championship final.
He sank 10 reds and blacks but then wobbled the 11th red around the jaws of a corner pocket and the chance slipped by. The break nevertheless put him 14-10 behind with one frame of the afternoon remaining. He lost that but the drama was relentless in the evening as Higgins drew level at 15-15.
Williams reeled off two frames in a row, the second with a 100 break, but then missed a pink in the next frame that was match ball.
Higgins cleared with a run of 65, taking the frame, but Williams was not to be denied glory.