Mark Williams produced a stunning comeback to reach the English Open final, beating Shaun Murphy 6-5 after trailing 4-0 and 5-1 late into the night at Brentwood Centre. The Welshman, aiming to extend his record as snooker's oldest ranking title winner, appeared to spur himself on with a loud scream during the middle of a frame.
While 2-0 down to Murphy, Williams opened the third frame with a positive start and put 24 unanswered points on the board. But his plan went awry when, after potting the blue, he screwed the cue ball back and accidentally hit the green ball, leaving him out of position for the next shot.
Unusual Incident Startles Crowd
Forced to play safe rather than continue the break, Williams assessed the table before letting out a huge scream, startling those inside the arena. The crowd quickly responded with laughs as the 51-year-old had a big smile on his face.
“Do you know what, that’s good – get it out,” HBO Max commentator Alan McManus said. The camera then panned to Murphy chuckling away, to which McManus joked: “‘Got that T-shirt, big fella,’ says Shaun.”
Remarkable Fightback
Murphy returned to the table and eventually took the frame, and the next, to lead 4-0 in an almost insurmountable lead. They traded the next two frames, and Williams faced five must-win frames or he would be eliminated in the final four.
However, he managed to rattle off five frames in a row to produce a remarkable comeback and set up a final against Ali Carter.
“I’ve Got Out of Jail”
“I’ve got out of jail there I think,” he told HBO Max after reaching the final. “I was 4-0 down and he was by far the better player. But I just stuck in there.
“The two clearances I’ve done were good. I think I was 60-odd behind to get to 5-5. I made an excellent break in the last. I felt so calm in the last, no pressure at all, until I got to 69 and I had a red, and my arm just went! I missed it by about three inches!
“Even at 4-0, I was getting ready to watch the Conor Benn fight on my drive home! I was timing it, thinking ‘They’re walking out at 3:30, but that time I’ll be on the M4!’ But I never give up. I was missing a lot, 4-0, 5-1, 5-2, but I never give up. One in 1000 matches you turn it around from 4-0. That was my one in 1000.”
