Three-time world champion Mark Williams became snooker’s oldest ranking event winner after beating Shaun Murphy in a one-sided Xi’an Grand Prix final on Monday; Williams is also the first ever player to win an event in his teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s
Mark Williams made snooker history by becoming the oldest ranking event winner after beating Shaun Murphy 10-3 in the Xi’an Grand Prix final.
At 50 years and 206 days, Williams surpasses Ray Reardon’s record (50 years and 14 days) from 1982 with a dominant display to secure his 27th career ranking title and first in 18 months.
The Welshman is also the first player to win a World Snooker Tour event in his teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
Williams has risen to fourth in the rankings ahead of Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins, with the trio still among snooker’s elite 33 years after joining the professional tour together
Williams: I don’t know how I’m stilling winning tournaments
Williams said on his record-breaking victory in China: “It’s amazing that I am still winning tournaments, I don’t know how I’m doing it because I am not practising enough to really compete in the later stages of tournaments.
“I try to play as much as I can while I’m at venues and you have to scrape me off the table until the last ball is potted. Somehow the three of us in the Class of ’92 (along with Higgins and O’Sullivan) are still going.
“I try my absolute hardest when I’m out there, trying to win every game. But if I lose I don’t care, there’s no moaning or dwelling on it. If you beat yourself up when you lose, then you will struggle in this game.
“If more players took the same attitude they might see a bit of improvement.”
I played really well from the first frame to the last. I don’t think I missed more than a couple of easy balls all day. I think I made more frame-winning breaks today than I did in the whole tournament.
Murphy ‘punished’ by ‘all-time great’
Williams started the match strongly with a break of 75 to take an immediate lead then capitalised on missed opportunities for Murphy to storm into a 4-0 lead.
Although Murphy got a frame on the board, Williams won a long sixth which lasted 40 minutes as he established a 5-1 advantage and consolidated that by winning the last two frames of the first session with a 127 clearance to be 7-1 up.
When the players returned from the interval, Williams picked up where he left off with another century but Murphy hit back by winning the next two frames but still trailed 8-3.
Williams won his first ranking title since the 2024 Tour Championship
Any sign of a comeback was quickly evaded by Williams though as breaks of 65 and 61 on his way to claiming the last two frames sealed a special victory in a one-sided final to pick up the £177,000 champion’s prize.
Murphy said: “Congratulations to Mark, he’s a wonderful player and an all-time great, and today he played like one. He was very tough and the better man on the day. I missed a few shots and he punished me.
“His safety was good and his tactics were strong. I hate to lose, it’s very painful. I tried my best and that’s all I can ask. The fans were great, it was a great atmosphere, I’m just sorry I couldn’t do better.”
