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Mark Williams ended the most barren spell of his career by beating John Higgins 9-8 in a dramatic China Open final in Beijing on Sunday.

Welshman Williams, who made the 6,000 mile journey east trying to protect his membership of the elite top 16 in the world rankings, flies home with the £30,000 first prize and eroded self-belief restored.

It was the 16th world ranking title captured by the 31 year-old Welshman, but the first since he beat Higgins 9-5 to claim the LG Cup at Preston in October 2003.

Since then, Williams has slumped alarmingly - on his own admission he became lazy - and at times wondered whether his glory days were a thing of the past.

But those doubts were dispelled when, in a nail-biter of a deciding frame, Williams drilled in a long green and cleared the colours to pink to snatch the verdict.

"That probably goes down as one of my most satisfying wins ever," said the double world champion from Cwm.

"I haven't lifted a trophy for such a long time, and there have been times in the last couple of years when I thought I might never get to lift one again.

"Not only that - but to beat the best player in the world this season with the world championship just around the corner, it couldn't really be much better."

Williams, who hammered Stephen Hendry 5-1 in the quarter-finals and defending champion Ding Junhui 6-2 for a place in the final, added: "There were a couple of points when I just couldn't see myself turning things around.

"Now I have, and it's a great feeling."

It is the sixth time Williams has won an overseas ranking tournament following successes in the 2002 China Open in Shanghai, 1998 Irish Open and Thailand Masters in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

But fate looked to have conspired against the easy-going left-hander when, leading 8-7, he was presented with a gilt-edged to cross the line.

With the balls wide open, though, he suffered a mammoth 'kick' that caused an otherwise simple black to go astray and reprieved Higgins stepped in with a 64 break to carry the enthralling contest its full distance.

A full house at the Beijing Students' University Gymnasium were then on the edge of their seats as the pendulum swung both ways before Williams held his nerve marginally the better.

It meant a second bitter disappointment on foreign soil in as many months for Higgins, who lost 9-8 to Ken Doherty, from 8-5 up, in the final of the Malta Cup in early February.

"I thought I hit the green really well but it jangled about in the jaws and stayed on the table," said Higgins, of the attempted pot that cost him a third title this season after winning the Grand Prix and Wembley Masters.

"Mark had a terrible kick when it looked as though he was on his way to winning 9-7 but he had some rubs in the last frame so it all evened out.

"I should've been in front after the first session but it finished 4-4 and tonight I couldn't get away from him."

Consolation for Higgins is a healthy haul of world-ranking points that sees him significantly reduce the gap between himself and fellow countryman Hendry, the only player stationed above him on the provisional ranking list.

"I'm throwing in a few bad shots and that cost me but generally my game is mostly good and I'll go to the Crucible in a couple of weeks time with plenty of confidence," he said.

Despite losing to Williams last night, Ding was in the crowd for the final and pocketed the tournament's £2,000 highest-break award for his 135 total clearance in beating Graeme Dott 5-2 in the second round.