By winning a third world title at 43, in a thrilling final against the 42-year-old John Higgins, Mark Williams showed millennials the older generation still have what it takes
Tuesday morning and in the cafes of Sheffield’s Millennium Square, talk was still of the snooker. “I caught the end, quite exciting wasn’t it!” went one conversation starter, which was quite effusive for Yorkshire.
The previous night, at about 9.50, Mark Williams had channelled calm in the most pressured of moments at the Crucible to claim his 18th frame against John Higgins. In the process, the Welshman won his third world championship title, 15 years after his second, the longest gap in the tournament’s history.
Mark Williams beats John Higgins in epic World Snooker Championship final Read more
In the end it was quite the final, an unexpectedly tense, competitive and ultimately thrilling match that put to bed any talk of an underwhelming championship. Barry Hearn would never hint at any such anxiety, of course, but the way the old impresario stormed into the press area to announce Williams – “Cameras at the back! Naked world champion at the front!” – suggested he knew he had a story on his hands.
Williams was an outside bet throughout the 17 days of the tournament: he was a champion so unlikely he jokingly promised early in the competition that he would turn up naked to the post-final presser should he win – and then delivered on the pledge. When his semi against Barry Hawkins finished at midnight on Saturday it was expected that the 43-year-old, suddenly bouncing back after so long in obscurity, would fade horribly against the perennial competitor Higgins. Instead, the Welshman’s languid, almost sleepy demeanour proved to be an asset.
He stayed calm throughout the final, riding his moments of good form, not dwelling on the bad. He also played some outstanding shots, especially in the final frames, with the red that opened his final break likely to haunt Higgins for some time. From the other side, the Scot was indefatigable, coming back from 4-0 down to 7-7, and from 14-7 to 15-15.
So the story is that the class of 92 rolled back the clock. Williams, who became the oldest world champion since Ray Reardon won in 1978 as a 45-year-old, certainly celebrated like a man two decades younger. Throughout the early hours his Twitter feed declared his determination to keep drinking (though he has also changed his biography to include three trophy emojis). But as the Welshman’s body will no doubt tell him upon sobering up, this can’t go on for ever.
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With Mark Selby knocked out in the opening round and Ronnie O’Sullivan defenestrated in the second, the 2018 championship provided a chance for snooker’s 20-somethings to step up. They didn’t take it. Kyren Wilson made the semis but was kept at arm’s length by the 42-year-old Higgins, who also took care of Judd Trump in the previous round. Hearn used the occasion of the final to criticise the younger generation, saying: “Kids today are soft and getting softer. If I was a player who hadn’t won the world title I’d be spending a long time looking in the mirror and saying: ‘Why?’”
How long can a middle-aged resurgence hold off the millennials? “The younger players will look at this and think they have another 15 years of coming back here, trying to win it,” said Higgins. That may be true. Unfortunately, next year, Williams and Higgins have promised they will still be there waiting for them.
Mark Williams promised and delivered. The 2018 World Snooker champion was ‘over the moon’ after his unexpected victory, but he did not forget to strip naked for the press conference as he said he would if he won the tournament.
• Mark Williams beats John Higgins in epic World Snooker Championship final
Before this World Snooker Championship Mark Williams made a promise to conduct his press conference naked should he win the tournament, and he proved a man of his word on Monday night when he strode into the media centre wearing only a towel and a sheepish grin following his epic 18-16 victory over John Higgins at the Crucible.
Asked immediately after winning the contest, which proved to be one of the best finals ever seen in Sheffield, Williams said he would go through with the stunt so long as world snooker chairman Barry Hearn promised not to hit him with a fine.
“It’s cold in here, init?” quipped the Welshman as slipped out of his towel and behind the safety of a cloth-covered table in front of the world’s media. “It feels a little bit uncomfortable at the minute. I had to wear the towel on the orders of Barry Hearn otherwise I would just have walked in, just crying.
“It’s an unbelievable story. Twelve months ago I was thinking about chucking it, and here I am doing an interview having won the 2018 World Championship, naked.
“If I won this again next year, I’d do this again – I’d cartwheel round here naked.
“I’m going to party the night away. Last time I won it I think I had half a pint of milk and went to bed. I’m not going to bed this time – it’ll be daylight before I get to bed.”
Mark Williams enters the media centre (Rex)
Once the laughs died down he admitted that he was “over the moon” to have become a three-time world champion, especially after such a gruelling contest.
“To play John in a final is an experience in itself,” Williams said. “You’ve got to expect a comeback because when you’re 50 or 60 in front, he’s the best I’ve ever seen at clearing up and that includes Ronnie O’Sullivan. I was thinking, ‘I’m not going to get over the line here.’ I knew if I didn’t get enough he was going to clear up again, but I’m over the moon.
World Championship Snooker 2018 final: in pictures
10 show all World Championship Snooker 2018 final: in pictures
1/10 Mark Williams with the trophy PA
2/10 Mark Williams plays a shot Getty
3/10 Mark Williams celebrates after he won the tournament Getty
4/10 Mark Williams reacts after winning PA
5/10 Mark Williams conducts his post match interview without any clothes PA
6/10 Mark Williams poses with his family and the World Snooker Championship trophy after winning the tournament Getty
7/10 Mark Williams speaks to the media naked after he won the tournament Getty
8/10 Mark Williams and John Higgins shake hands PA
9/10 Lee Walker and Stephen Feeney pose for a picture while celebrating with Mark Williams Getty
10/10 Mark Williams is interviewed whilst naked PA
“Last year I was seriously thinking of giving up, but my game is in pretty good shape now.”
Higgins has now lost two finals in succession having fallen to Mark Selby last year, and remains on a total of four world titles. ”I was 14-7 behind and I was worried if I wouldn’t take it to the fourth session,” Higgins said. “I didn’t want to lose with a session to spare.
“It was unbelievable to play in front of this crowd. The last frame was just a joke there for him to play that well under that pressure. He’s a great champion.”
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