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Champion of Champions recap - Mark Williams beats Kyren Wilson in dramatic Group 3 final match-up
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Published 12/11/2024 at 22:46 GMT
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Welcome to the recap of our live text coverage of the latest round of action at the Champion of Champions as snooker's current world champion Kyren Wilson faced Mark Williams in their hotly anticipated semi, which lived up to its billing.. The final pitted the two winners to see who would be the champion of the group at the event, and Williams came out on top.
‘What a tremendous break’ – Ding misses out on magical century to edge closer to title
Video credit: TNT Sports
WILLIAMS WINS! WILSON 5-6 WILLIAMS
70-1 up for Williams as Wilson comes to the table, needing snookers.
Wilson looks to make the most of the reds on the table, and uses the rest to set up a snooker on the final red, but he realises it's not on and concedes.
Williams moves into the semi-finals of the Champion of Champions, his first major win over Wilson.
WILSON 5-5 WILLIAMS (1-27)
Wilson manages just a red before blowing his own chance with a black that he fails to cut in. A second, huge chance falls to Williams.
WILSON 5-5 WILLIAMS (0-27)
Williams opens up the scoring and at 5-0 up, things aren't easy. He'd sunk a brown, and while he had hoped for an easy red to the middle, a small nudge on the green made it harder.
Nonetheless, the veteran nails it, and he can now move onto the blue. He's now at the business end of the table to start what he will hope is a winning break.
Instead, his 27 leaves him in danger, and Wilson is in.
WILSON 5-5 WILLIAMS (67-56)
Williams ends the safety exchange by bringing the awkward red into play into the bottom left, and Wilson gladly and competently takes the chance.
A 58, a tough 58, levels the score and sets up the decider. Given the quality and form of them both, perhaps that was inevitable.
WILSON 4-5 WILLIAMS (9-56)
Wilson sends two reds to the top right and it looks as if one of them cuts back, but Williams fails, and Wilson is back in. More safety play to come, and Williams fails to connect with the red at the first attempt and concedes a foul.
WILSON 4-5 WILLIAMS (5-56)
...But he sinks nonetheless and gives himself the chance of nosing ahead, and then seeing what the pack of reds might give him - if things go his way.
He screws off the brown to take the last easy red into the bottom left, and then sizes up the black to split the reds.
A fairly light contact brings a few out into play, and two to the right of the pack are now on. The first is sunk, but he needs to develop more of them. There's potentially a hugely tight red to take on, but instead he pots a double to the middle-right, before making the pink to move his break to 42.
At 51-5 up he sinks the blue, brings the pack of red into play, but is given little clear way forward, except a red to middle, but it is far from straightforward. Williams takes his consideration into a third minute without playing a shot yet, but he can't make up his mind between aggression and safety.
He then sends the ball gently to the top right and leaves Wilson to get on it.
WILSON 4-5 WILLIAMS (5-0)
Wilson takes on and sinks an impressive long red, and then claims the brown only to miss a far easier red. Williams doesn't have an easy red into the top right...
WILSON 4-5 WILLIAMS (123-0)
Wilson is playing to stay in the match now. He's first to make a score, and at 17-0 up, he cannons off the blue straight into the pink. It spreads the reds, stops the white, and he glances in a red to keep things going. It's a winnable position from here.
At 123-0 up, he needs a rest to attempt a tough pink, and his break ends with a miss. Just a frame behind now.
WILSON 3-5 WILLIAMS (48-71)
On 24 points, Williams fails to make contact with two reds that need disrupting.
He moves over to the third red on the left, lining up a shot to the middle-right. From here he needs the blue, and then hope the reds give him something - both do. One to cut to the corner, another to the middle.
A smooth shot to the middle sinks the red, and he moves onto the yellow when he is 51-48 up.
He needs everything up to and including the blue, and he adds the pink as well to go two-up.
WILSON 3-4 WILLIAMS (48-0)
Unfortunately for fans of bedtime, Wilson looks in no mood to let this go without a fight.
At 15-0 up he opens up the red and is rewarded with a few options. He makes 48 but misses a pink to the middle right, and Williams has a chance.
WILSON 3-4 WILLIAMS (0-140)
Williams is the first to register points in the seventh frame of this first-to-six. He then moves onto the blue before clearing up a red at the 'wrong' end of the table, before using the brown to line up some more routine reds.
It's Williams' turn for a century, and with a pink to bring him onto 105 he adroitly develops a red to keep things going.
140 for Williams puts him back in front, and the table is cleared.
WILSON 3-3 WILLIAMS (109-0)
A miss from Williams gives Wilson the first points of the frame.
He then comes to the table and a fluid century, only a few seconds on each shot for much of it. That 105 ends on a red, and it's his 30th century of the season already.
WILSON 2-3 WILLIAMS (45-90)
Williams takes the brown into the bottom right, thumps the blue into the top on the same side, and stops after taking the pink. He's ahead for the first time in the match.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (42-75)
Wilson is back, and with the yellow gone, he needs two snookers. It's going to be tough for Wilson from here.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (42-73)
Wilson levels at 42-42 before settling on a routine black, but there is only one last straightforward red. Two others are against a cushion.
He deals with the first well, and needs the rest for the second into the bottom right - successfully navigated.
That puts him 66-42 up and on the black, a tough shot to find the yellow. He then hides behind the yellow, 31 ahead and 27 on the table.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (42-29)
A break of 38 edges Wilson clear, but he sends in a long red to the top left, only to see it rattle and come out.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (4-29)
Williams misses and is put back in by Wilson. The white is high up the table with quite a narrow band of reds to aim for. He touches a red at the second attempt, with such a slight contact that Wilson did not see it.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (0-29)
This time it's Wilson that misses a long red. Williams is back at the table and he glances in a red to the bottom left.
He makes the early running and leaves Wilson with a safety.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (0-)
At the restart, Williams attempts an early long pot but rattles the red in the corner. Wilson attempts a double which doens't necessarily leave a great deal open.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (25-72)
Wilson can't get anywhere close to snookers, and we go into the break with the scores level.
WILSON 2-1 WILLIAMS (1-72)
A shot with the rest gives Williams a red, and the chance to continue a promising break. 30-1 up, it appears the black, blue and pink can alternated with the reds for a few shots here.
59 remaining as he misses a red and Wilson is back.
WILSON 2-1 WILLIAMS (1-0)
The opening stages of the frame sees Wilson disappointed to leave what he thinks is a plant. Williams eschews it, but Wilson is convinced and when he returns, sinks it.
He leaves the white safe, and needs the brown to the left-middle to continue his break, and he sends it back into the table off the jaw).
WILSON 2-1 WILLIAMS (83-37)
Relief for Wilson as he leaves just the black on the table. 2-1 up.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (63-37)
A chance for Williams, potentially, with a long red to the bottom left. He takes his chance well and plays for the black, bouncing off two cushions to set him up nicely.
He misses on the yellow and the frame looks over.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (63-29)
Williams sinks the brown by accident, giving Wilson a free ball. The red is hard to reach after he hides it behind yellow and blue, but Williams returns it well.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (59-29)
There's a few safety shots here, with Williams sending the white tight against the pink, with the red on the other flank of the table. Wilson just needs the red here.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (59-29)
30 ahead and with 35 remaining, Wilson gets an awkward touch on the remaining red high up on the left. He leaves it high up the end of the table, though Williams can see it.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (25-29)
A nascent break is arrested for Wilson as he attempts a long red that strikes the green in the way. This is inconsistent from both in the third frame.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (9-29)
Another foul gave Wilson four more, but the advantage rests with Williams as he gets back in. The reds are spread out down the bottom of the table, with a path for the black to both bottom corners for one shot, and then Williams misses on a blue.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (5-17)
Wilson almost had himself snookered, but he found the green and leaves Williams on the cushion, and he duly misses a red.
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (1-17)
A loose early shot from Wilson offers up a long red that Williams successfully sinks. He has a real stretch with the rest for the brown, followed up by an excellent blue. The rest comes out once more for a long red, and he takes on the blue again. He finds himself then on a bunch of reds with nothing obvious, so he plays to hide behind the red up on the right. Wilson flukes a red...
WILSON 1-1 WILLIAMS (0-122)
Williams almost immediately has the chance to hit back, and after a stilted, short break, he gets another chance to add more in size. Wilson may rue his missed red.
The Welshman takes the opportunity as he starts to move the break down to the bottom of the table, picking off the reds and scoring with the pink.
There are four reds between pink and black, one of which will probably be needed to seal the frame on this visit. A black to the bottom right loosens up one of them, which he sends to the middle-left.
A smart double keeps the break going, a century within reach, finishing on 109.
WILSON 1-0 WILLIAMS (87-1)
Wilson came to the table with the black in a difficult position on the left, close to three reds. That has left him to focus on building his break with the pink, before the break comes to an end when he misses with the rest.
WILSON 0-0 WILLIAMS (0-1)
Williams sinks the white after an extended period of safety play, giving Wilson a chance to get back in now.
WILSON 0-0 WILLIAMS (0-1)
Wilson misses a relatively easy red to the middle-left, and Williams steps in to start the first break of the match. He sends the white back up the other end of the table, just behind the brown.
THE ACTION IS MINUTES AWAY
The snooker should start in roughly 10 minutes now, and with the first to win six, this could be over relatively quickly. Neither player likes to hang around, but if they're both at their best, there's the possibility of an 11-frame thriller ahead.
WILLIAMS LOOKING GOOD
Mark Williams also won by a 4-1 margin in his match against Bai Yulu. No centuries, but scores of 92, 76 and 82 hint that the veteran Welshman is in decent nick.
WILSON IN FORM
Kyren Wilson is back for the 7pm kick-off after defeating Luca Brecel 4-1 in their semi-final. He had two centuries in the victory.
WE'RE BACK
It's time for the Group 3 final: Kyren Wilson v Mark Williams. It should be a belter, so stick with us.
KYREN WILSON BEATS LUCA BRECEL 4-1!
Four on the trot from Kyren, who will meet Mark J Williams in tonight's final. What a match that should be! As for Luca, he started like he meant it but faded fast, and for as long as players of similar – and lesser – ability outwork him to significant extent, he'll struggle.
WILSON 3-1 BRECEl (115-0)
A black to left corner raies another ton, Kyren's second of the match, and he's in total control of his talent and his temperament. It's moving to watch.
WILSON 3-1 BRECEl (66-0)
Kyren loves snooker as much as anyone, so I can only imagine how much he's enjoying being world champ and playing like this. After losing the first frame, he's been superb, and it'll take something special to stop him ... something, perhaps, like Mark J Williams, who he'll meet this evening and against whom he boasts a 7-0 winning record. A plant keeps the run going, and almost everything he tries is coming off.
WILSON 3-1 BRECEl (50-0)
These two are opposites and the same: they're both incredibly talented, but only Kyren has a work ethic to match. Of course, anyone can do what they want, but you do fear that at some point, Luca will lament what might've been, and it's hard not to wonder why, if he doesn't feel the need to extract all he can from his talent, why he's not wanting to warn as much money as he can because we all gotta eat.
WILSON 3-1 BRECEl (26-0)
Kyren flukes a snooker, the last thing Luca needs, then his roll-up escape, off the side, hits pink not red. That's a terrible error given the loose red that's nearby, and Kyren will now try to finish the match – though he'll soon have to dig into the pack. A poor split might be the only thing standing between him and the group final.
WILSON 3-1 BRECEl
On 79, Kyren runs out of position, so no ton, but he's taken over this contest, and though Luca can do crazy stuff at any point, it's hard to see how he finds a way to win; Kyrizzle is playing that well, with that much confidence.
WILSON 2-1 BRECEl (55-0)
Kyren misses a cannon so opens the pack – lovely shot – then my SkyGo crashes and returns to show that he's close to securing the frame.
WILSON 2-1 BRECEl (21-0)
Luca gets in via fine red to left corner but soon misses, allowing Kyren in. He soon runs out of position but offered another chance, gratefully accepts it. Momentum appears inexorable.
WILSON 2-1 BRECEl
If today's Luca is the Luca of the last 20 or so months, Kyren might well run through the two further frames he needs for victory. But if today's Luca is real Luca, this isn't close to over – not by a long chalk. But either way, Kyren records a 132, and he's beautifully grooved, yet again.
WILSON 1-1 BRECEl (82-0)
Neil Robertosn might be the only player who loves tons as much as Kyriz, and this should be another...
WILSON 1-1 BRECEl (66-0)
In a spot of bother – Kyren's been struggling a little with cue-ball control this frame – he finds a really good pot, played with screw, to keep him going, and a tremendous cut-back red along the side rail. A difficult black follows, and this is going to be 2-1.
WILSON 1-1 BRECEl (33-0)
No matter. An error from Luca allows Kyren a straightforward starter to left corner, he gets away, and he'll score here.
WILSON 1-1 BRECEl (1-0)
Kyren crunchesa fine starter to right corner – his single-balll potting is so so good - but he doesn't then get as close to the green as he should, so luca's escape is easier than it ought to have been; he measures his roll-up to perfection.
WILSON 1-1 BRECEl
Kyren does the necessary and this is brewing into a very nice contest. This is such a great competition.
WILSON 0-1 BRECEl (42-35)
It doesn't last long, a poor shot from Luca offering Kyren a straighhtforward pot to left corner, and Kyren needs to the pink for 1-1; handy, and both it and the black are out of commission.
WILSON 0-1 BRECEl (42-35)
This is the best I've seen Luca play in a while – so far – but the blue won't drop him in behind the final red, so he tries a screw off the yellow, giving it too much. He's back in the frame, though, and the chase for the ball that might decide it is on.
WILSON 0-1 BRECEl (42-23)
A red lands in baulk, allowing Luca to send it up the table and nuzzle into the green; Kyeren's escape leaves a simple starter and, though there's a red on the side,every other ball is bar the black is available. Chance for 2-0...
WILSON 0-1 BRECEl (42-16)
Kyren tidies the table - it's very messy - and loses the white off a red with the rest, so that's end of break. Luca probably didn't expect to get back to the tale in this frame, but he's still in with a chance of pinching it.
WILSON 0-1 BRECEl (28-16)
A poor positional shot means a horrid cut-back black ... which Kyren sinks nicely. It'll take a while for anyone to secure this frame as the chances are they'll be taking low-value colours, seven reds now between the bottom cushion and the blue spot, but the Warrior is sticking them away well.
WILSON 0-1 BRECEl (0-16)
Luca misses a double then Kyren can't sink a long one to the yellow and, with the former missing a further pot, the table is now a mess, four balls on or below the baulk line with three more between the baulk line and the blue spot. So Luca sends a stinker of a starter long towards left corner ... and it drops, but trying to go across the table in order to clip a ball to the green, he misses and leaves one.
WILSON 0-1 BRECEl
Luca hasn't made a ton yet this season and just as he looks on for one here, he errs. Still, he's in the lead and I'm sure he'll take that.
WILSON 0-0 BRECEL (5-64)
In comms, Stephen notes Luca doesn't even need to work that hard to be brilliant – just a little bit of work will mean he's near the top of the game because he has so much talent and bottle. And at 29, he's got plenty of time to mature and improve.
WILSON 0-0 BRECEL (5-51)
Luca, who says now is the time to start working again, quickly removes balls, and should secure the frame at this visit.
WILSON 0-0 BRECEL (5-23)
Luca settles in, and he's so natural aroud the table. If he fancies it and he's on, he can beat anyone.
WILSON 0-0 BRECEL (5-0)
This, of course, is a match between our last two world champions – men who accepted the honour in different manners. Luca went out for a year or so and did nothing on the table, whereas Kyren rededicated himself and got better. He's won two tournaments since the Cruce, whereas Luca is here as a ranking top-up – he still has the points from taking the biggun. Anyroad, Luca misses a long one to left corner so Kyren creams in to right, adds a fine brown, and if he can get in front, I'd not be shocked if he won easily. So of course, as I type, he misses a black off its spot, leaving a chance.
HERE THEY COME
coming up next
Kyren Wilson v Luca Brecel
Mark j williams beats bai yulu 4-1!
He finishes with an 82 and will play either Kyren Wilson or Luca Brecel in the group final.
WILLIAMS 3-1 Bai (72-1)
Mark secures the match. He'll have to play much, much better that he has this afternoon if he's to progress beyond the group, though.
WILLIAMS 3-1 Bai (37-1)
Mark opens the pack then, hammering one to left corner, he pots another as well, leaving himself a nasty black from the side; he can't drain it, and Bai imediately gets away with a rdelightful pot to left-centre. Can she make something of a pretty decent opportunity? Oh man, not she cannot: again, she misses a ball she shouldn't, this time a pink to the green, and though she's shwon us how good she can be, she'll need to up the consistency to make a splash on the tour next term. As fro this match, though, I'm not sure she's getting another shot.
WILLIAMS 3-1 Bai (20-0)
A poor break from Bai leaves the red well shoty of the baulk line and you can't offer Mark J that kind of opportunity. He slots a starter and, with the black passing to both corners, is accumulating quickly.
WILLIAMS 3-1 Bai
Mark misses a red to left corner so has to settle for a 76; Bai still has a chance here, as she's playing well, save the easy balls missed that are hampering her.
WILLIAMS 2-1 Bai (68-15)
In double-quick time, Mark secures the frame. Bai will need three straight to win from here.
WILLIAMS 2-1 Bai (26-15)
A lovely cut-back recovery-pot takes Mark to baulk, but he's soon back up the business end and might just be growing into this. If he is, Bai is in trouble.
WILLIAMS 2-1 Bai (8-15)
Mark misses to right corner and Bai sinks the same ball to the green bag then works her way up to the business end. But just as Dave Hendon is complimenting her lack of fear, she botches a black off its spot – that's the second one of those she's missed - leaving Mark a decent chance to punish.
WILLIAMS 2-1 Bai
Mark sinks the broon to go back in front. But the way he's playing, Bai will feel she's more than still in this
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai (53-25)
And she does, a clever little shot leaving black between white and red; Mark duly escapes. He then strokes home a long red, lands on the yellow so takes that next, then does so again, and Bai needs two snookers.If a double on the green goes in, she probably won't come back to the table, but Mark doesn't hit his double hard enough, so she cleans it up then tries for a snooker on the brown, getting close but not close enough.
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai (48-22)
Mark removes the two reds, ponders potting the brown, doesn't tuck in behind the yellow, and instead knocks the green safe, challening Bai to hits the red without bringing it out into the open.
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai (41-22)
A safety error from Bai allows Mark yet another go, but there are tewo reds stuck togther and another stuck to the pink which is stuck to the black, near the side rail. He's a warm favourite for the frame, but there's work to do.
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai (33-22)
Mark is not feeling this. He sends a blue long to left corner, the kind of long, precision shot you'd expect him to drain ... and he does not.
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai (26-22)
Oh dear. Bai fails to spot a plant then, with the rest, leaves a red on the lip of right corner; Mark sinks it, hammers pink to middle, and the way the balls are, he should secure the frame at this visit.
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai (18-8)
Bai's playing her shots, which is commendable, but she misses to right corner and leaves an easy opener, bringing the pink back into play at the same time. Mark, though, hasn't got going really – he needed several chances to win the first frame, missed several in the second, and now he's botched a red to middle, meaning Bai can sink a starter to the green bag and get scoring.
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai (11-5)
Both players foul-miss early doors then Bai gets away with a nice slot to left corner. But she misses the pink, allowing Mark to get involved; he soon runs out of position, nuzzling into the green when he might've played the pot; Bai plays a really good escape, brushing her red of choice and leaving everything safe.
WILLIAMS 1-1 Bai
Go on Bai! A composed clearance of 85 levels the match!
WILLIAMS 1-0 Bai (12-65)
Bai does the necessary and will feel much better about life than she did 10 minutes ago.
WILLIAMS 1-0 Bai (12-52)
A poor positional shot means Bai has to force a blue to middle in order to get on to her next red and she leans over the table to cut into right corner. A color and red will leave Mark needing a snooker....
WILLIAMS 1-0 Bai (12-24)
Nope, Mark can only manage six. But he's soon back in breaking the pack ... only to miss a simple red to left corner, an by a way! Chance for Bai!
WILLIAMS 1-0 Bai (6-23)
As ever in a contest of this ilk you get the sense that the less fancied player will have to win from the front, so this is a huge frame for Bai. And though she quickly getsin and gets out, a safety error from Mark offers her a further opportunity and she nails a fine green to middle knowing that if she misses, there's a red over right corner. But just as it looks like she's warming up, she misses a black off its spot playing for a ball she could've left for later because she had options, and it seems unlikely such oversight will be allowed to pass unpunished.
WILLIAMS 1-0 Bai
A run of 92 and Mark J hits the front.
WILLIAMS 0-0 Bai (64-8)
Bai hasn't settled yet and will know that she can't rely on Mark offering the chances he did in this frame in those which will follow.
WILLIAMS 0-0 Bai (28-8)
Before long Mark is in again, finding a fine recovery-pot to middle, and he's now in decent position, methodically eliminating balls. But faced with another recovery-pot to middle, he hits the jaw, but Bai overcuts an opener with the rest, meaning the three-time world champ has another chance to score.
WILLIAMS 0-0 Bai (10-8)
Bai, by the way, is only 21, so will get much better than she is now – which is excellent. And she's at the table now, Mark getting in with a double before missing to left corner. The balls are nicely spread, so this is a chance for her ... but she can't get a red into right corner, so it's end of break.
HERE COME OUR PLAYERS
And off we go!
OUR FIRST Match
Features Mark J Williams, who qualified by winning the Tour Championship, against Bai Yulu, the women's World Champ. Bai will have to go some to beat an all-time great, but she's got a tour card for next season and believe, she can play.
HELLO THERE
And welcome to what can't fail to be another tremendous day of action. Bring it on!
Tournament schedule
(All times UK)
Monday, November 11
13:00
- Mark Allen 4-2 Igor Figueiredo
14:00
- Gary Wilson 2-4 Jak Jones
19:00
- Mark Allen 6-4 Jak Jones
Tuesday, November 12
13:00
- Mark Williams v Bai Yulu
14:00
- Kyren Wilson v Luca Brecel
19:00
- Mark Williams or Bai Yulu v Kyren Wilson or Luca Brecel
Wednesday, November 13
13:00
- Judd Trump v Ding Junhui
14:00
- Ali Carter v Neil Robertson
19:00
- Judd Trump or Ding Junhui v Ali Carter or Neil Robertson
Thursday, November 14
13:00
- Ronnie O'Sullivan v Xiao Guodong
14:00
- Mark Selby v Shaun Murphy
19:00
- Ronnie O'Sullivan or Xiao Guodong v Mark Selby or Shaun Murphy
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'It's a gigantic one!' - Massive fluke by Ding in semi-final
Video credit: TNT Sports
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