Williams regained the title (Getty Images).

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WILLIAMS SNATCHES EPIC FINAL

Mark Williams became only the third player to achieve snooker's triple crown when he finally killed off the challenge of comeback king Ken Doherty to win the Embassy World Championship crown at The Crucible Theatre.

Williams joined Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry in lifting the UK, Masters and world titles in the same season as he eventually triumphed 18-16 over the never say die Doherty, who had trailed 10-2 at one stage.

Williams, 28, has recognised that linking up with former world champion and now leading coach Terry Griffiths has been a major factor in his revival in 2003 after, by his standards, a modest time last season.

The Welsh star, whose sporting hero is Lennox Lewis, has regained his number one spot in the rankings from Ronnie O'Sullivan and has produced the best snooker during the past fortnight as he added to his 2000 world title.

His manager Ian Doyle insisted: "People can talk about Ronnie O'Sullivan until the cows come home but Mark Williams is the best. He is playing the best snooker in the world.

"John Higgins once made the statement that you had to win the world championship more than once to become a legend of the game - and Mark has become that."

But Doherty - also managed by Doyle - should take massive credit for another superb recovery after looking out of the contest at the halfway stage.

He had won last frame deciders with Shaun Murphy, Graeme Dott and Paul Hunter to reach the final in a mentally gruelling fortnight.

But despite another magnificent effort he never managed to take the lead at any stage of the final before Williams edged home.

Doherty had been attempting to make history as no player has recovered from trailing 11-5 after the first day of the final and gone on to take snooker's biggest prize.

The first frame of the evening session was understandably scrappy with both players guilty of squandering the kind of opportunities they would normally take advantage of.

But it was Williams who nudged ahead again after Doherty had left the penultimate red close to the yellow pocket. Williams managed to put together a modest but decisive clearance of 23 to the blue before Doherty conceded.

It was a similar scenario in the early stages of the next before Doherty produced a superb break of 92 to the black after Williams had again failed to tuck away a simple red.

Doherty manoeuvred the last three reds off the side cushion to where he could pot them and then took full advantage. But the response was instant from Williams who compiled an 87 break to again regain a one frame lead.

Doherty seized the initiative in the final frame before the interval with a run of 46 but Williams could have nicked it off his opponent when he left the final red over the middle pocket.

A missed yellow proved costly and a relieved Doherty was able to put sufficient points on the scoreboard to go in for the 20 minute break all square.

The players returned after the break for what effectively was a best of seven frame shoot-out and first blood went to Williams with a splendid run of 120 - his third century of the match.

Williams was showing signs of being back to his best and adopting a more positive approach and an opening 65 in the next only ended when he missed an easy red into the middle pocket. But he was quickly back in the balls to score enough points to extend his lead to 16-14.

The pressure was back on Docherty but typically he refused to buckle and a 64 helped to reduce the leeway.

Then it was back to 16-16 as Doherty held his nerve and composure in admirable fashion with a 112 break to the final black.

Williams continued to keep nudging ahead and an opening 45 and a 42 clearance took him to within one frame of the finishing line.

He put himself in prime position to achieve that with a 43 before playing safe and then a double set him on the way to securing enough points to make sure of the coveted title with a run of 77.

Doherty had produced another remarkable comeback in the afternoon session after looking dead and buried when Williams resumed on Monday afternoon with his six-frame advantage.

In an incredible turnaround in fortunes, the Irishman won the first six frames of the third session and ended all square at 12-12.

Doherty went into the final having played 98 frames compared to the 72 of Williams and there were fears that the fatigue factor would take its toll.

But the 33-year-old dug in and slowly but surely clawed his way back into contention as Williams brilliant form deserted him to set up that gripping last session.