By Elliott West
“There were two or three matches I definitely should have lost but managed to win them. Everything seemed to go my way when it looked like I was going to lose”.
Mark Williams
Introduction
In front of a packed audience at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, the two Mr W’s, Williams and Wilson, went toe to toe for the ultimate prize of the newly rediscovered British Open title. It was a meeting that saw two players who rarely meet on the tournament table and are definitely not practice partners. This made this battle even more fascinating because it would produce a match where the two literally had to figure out each other’s game as the match unfolded. A game where the Welshman attempted to gradually envelop his opponent like a Boa Constrictor emasculating its prey.
A War of Attrition
Mark Williams got the upper hand in the first frame with Gary Wilson unable to pot a ball. The only 8 points he was able to make were from penalty points laid from a snooker. The Williams dominance wouldn’t last long because Gary was able to snatch the next frame. However from then on the final turned into a game of cat and mouse with both players seizing on each others’ mistakes. Both Wilson and Williams managed to take a one frame advantage but then lost momentum and we’re unable to power on.
However, Gary fought out a scrappy frame to bring the scoreline back to 4-4 despite Williams attempting to salvage the frame by laying snookers. A feat that proved too much for the Welshman when he required two snookers to take the frame.
Despite this brief moment of doubt, Williams quickly picked himself up and dusted himself off, forgetting his previous mistakes in the heat of battle. From a wonderful initial red, Mark motored on, prising the balls apart as he literally danced around the table, producing snooker poetry in motion. When he came to the table, a century seemed impossible but he finished the frame off with a 115 break to make it 5-4.
Now one frame away from the prized possession, could the 46-year-old, former 1997 British Open champion, Mark Williams go ok to lift the trophy for a second time? A delightful long red floated into the yellow pocket, set the winning break alight and despite shouts from the crowd, it looked Williams might do it. However, the Welshman broke down and left a red hanging over the pocket, causing a disgruntled Mark, to bang his cue on the floor in disgust.
With the pressure firmly heaped on Wilsons’ shoulders, he too broke down on an off straight pink to the corner pocket, leaving Mark plum in the balls. In a clearance that we have seen Mark achieve so many times before, Williams finally put the elimination knives to bed when he wobbled the winning red into the pocket. However it wasn’t quite over as with the scoreline at 62-10, Mark conceded a snooker but it wasn’t enough when Gary missed the blue to the middle pocket.
A Parting Thought
Gary Wilson may be bitterly disappointed for losing but he has played superbly throughout the tournament. A purist who excelled in this short format walks away with £45,000. Turning to Mark Williams, this Houdini, pulled the rabbit out of the hat to lift the trophy in front of a capacity audience, that included his friends and family, 24 years after his first victory. The British Open achieved what it set out to and was highly successful, producing positive feedback from the players and the fans. With a brief pause now, until we see televised snooker again, the Northern Ireland Open in October to be precise, Wilson will lick his wounds and be back after this 6-4 defeat but Williams steals the moment and becomes the third-oldest player behind Ray Reardon and Doug Mountjoy to win a ranking title.
