Mark Williams will face Xiao Guodong in the final of the Champion of Champions after thrashing Neil Robertson 6-2 on Saturday night.
Williams had never made it past the group stage in three previous appearances, but will now seek to add this prestigious title to a remarkable collection and get his hands on silverware for the first time this season.
Robertson, a two-time winner, had celebrated boisterously when edging past Judd Trump earlier in the week but was never in the game after losing each of the first four frames.
Trump felt that the Australian had been fortunate to win their match but his luck ran out in Bolton, where a Williams fluke when snookered in frame three kept Robertson from getting on the scoreboard prior to the interval.
Do that again… then do that again! 🤯#snooker #ChampionofChampions@ChampOfChamps pic.twitter.com/rLUGAvMkvO
— WST (@WeAreWST) November 16, 2024
Robertson did finally win his first frame afterwards with a run of 78, at the time the highest break of the evening, but Williams responded with a break of 132 which ended with a stunning pink to black positional shot for the total clearance.
A run of 68 kept Robertson's fading hopes alive to reduce the deficit to 5-2 but Williams, who turns 50 in March, shut him out in the next to secure his first win over Robertson in seven years.
"Really pleased, I'm hitting the ball really, really, really good," he told ITV. "I thought my safety was very good and I created a lot of chances from really good safety.
"I am playing quite well, I'm still taking it to these so-called youngsters (and) I'm in the final of another big tournament."
Sunday's final will take place over two sessions and a best of 19 frames.
