Williams - claimed his third Thailand Masters title. (Allsport)

WILLIAMS ON A HIGH

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Mark Williams won the Thailand Masters title for the third time in four years in Bangkok - barely a month after slumping to one of the lowest points of his career.

The 26 year-old Welshman secured the £67,500 first prize and followed up his triumph in last week's Shanghai-hosted China Open with a comfortable 9-4 victory over Stephen Lee at the Merchant Court Hotel.

A dejected Williams had been edged out 10-9 by Paul Hunter in last month's Benson and Hedges Masters at Wembley and admitted to being demoralised after 17 frustrating months full of near misses.

He said: "I couldn't possibly expect anything like this after Wembley. To do the double out here is fantastic.

"It was a big relief to win in China and a load off my mind. I was beginning to think I didn't have what it takes to win any more. But once those thoughts were gone I came here under no pressure, and that's why I played so well.

"I was struggling at the start of the season. But since I've started to practise hard like I used to things have seemed to go my way."

Williams, who again potted crisply as he extended his winning streak in Asian to 10 matches, amassed £130,000 during an all-conquering Far East fortnight and replaced John Higgins at the top of this season's money list with £346,450.

It was his 14th pro-tournament win - 12 of which have arrived in world ranking events to place him fourth on the all-time list behind Stephen Hendry (33), Steve Davis (28) and Higgins (15).

He is also within striking distance of Ronnie O'Sullivan, his 5-2 semi-final victim, in the provisional rankings and could yet retain his world number one status at the end of the season with only the Regal Scottish Open and Embassy World Championship left to be contested.

Williams, who now holds a 9-2 advantage over Lee in career meetings - including a 5-4 quarter-final victory at the China Open nine days ago - could not have wished for a better start.

The balls ran awkwardly in the opening frame, but a late contribution of 37 allowed the 2000 world champion to settle early nerves.

Lee did not score a point in the next two frames as Williams quickly built a 3-0 lead thanks to runs of 78 and 64.

Williams also had first chance in the fourth but he missed a short-range red. Lee, handicapped when the tip of his cue worked loose during pre-match practice, came back to take it and then fired in a 69 break to trail only 3-2.

But, having occupied the driver's seat in the sixth by putting together a run of 47, Williams re-established a two-frame cushion at 4-2. Lee then conceded with four reds remaining in the next.

After a 52 break Williams held on in the closing frame of the session to tighten his grip and lead 6-2.

Williams controlled frame nine when play re-started before producing his highest break of the match - a 90 clearance - to forge 8-2 ahead after Lee, up by 37, had overcut a short red with the opportunity to pull one back.

Only a handful of pots away from the finishing post, Williams missed a straightforward pink in frame 11. Lee fashioned a brave 50 clearance to keep his faint hopes alive and added the 12th to restore further respectability to the score.

His mini-recovery stopped there, though, as Williams - assisted by a run of 42 - claimed the 13th frame to wrap up a memorable Far East adventure.

Williams is only the third player, after Davis and Hendry, to win back-to-back ranking events on more than one occasion. He was also successful at the 1998 Irish Open and the 1999 Regal Welsh Open.

Lee, who received £34,000, agreed that having no time to become accustomed to a new tip had caused him problems.

"I've had some good luck this week, but my tip coming off was really bad luck. I struggled to pot simple balls and hit a lot of shots thick. On certain safety shots with side I just had to trust to luck.

"I don't think I could've had a tougher opponent. Mark's full of confidence after China. I needed to put him under pressure early on but I didn't do it."

Williams, back in action at the Citywest Irish Masters in nine days, added: "The world championship was the one I was looking forward to even before this, and I can't wait to get to the Crucible now. That's what I'm gearing up for now.