Mark Williams warded off a wasp attack to swat David Gilbert 6-2 and advance to the quarter-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace.
The 47-year-old Welshman displayed some unlikely dance moves as he sought to avoid the persistent attention of the insect and wrap up victory.
Referee Marcel Eckardt briefly suspended the eighth frame as he tried in vain to dispose of the interloper, and Williams joked afterwards: “I thought it was going to sting my nuts at one stage.”
Williams, who won his first of two Masters titles in 1998, buzzed in back-to-back century breaks to start the match before a further run of 95 put him in a 3-0 lead.
The Welshman extended his advantage but Gilbert, handed his place in the top-16 tournament following the suspension of Yan Bingtao, rallied after the mid-session interval, winning two frames in a row to narrow the deficit to two frames.
Gilbert missed a couple of golden chances in the next, allowing Williams to reassert control at 5-2, before the wasp-hit eighth frame went Williams’ way as he clawed his way back from a 63-point deficit.
Alexandra Palace was BUZZING tonight! 🐝
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) January 10, 2023
A wasp stopped play in London.#CazooMasters | @CazooUK | @markwil147 pic.twitter.com/GEaUY2QVvx
“I can never get a better reception than last year against Higgins, it was unbelievable,” said two-time champion Williams.
“But it might be just as good against Ronnie O'Sullivan (in the next round). Obviously 99 per cent of the crowd will be on his side, I won’t worry about that because it will be a great occasion. I’m 48 in a couple of months so who would have thought I’d be playing Ronnie here in front of a full crowd.”
