Williams Defies Age, Advances to World Snooker Championship Final

Mark Williams made history by reaching the World Snooker Championship final at 50, beating Judd Trump 17-14. 'I don't know how I'm doing to be honest,' Williams said.

Mark Williams made history by becoming the oldest player to reach the World Championship final, defeating Judd Trump 17-14 at the Crucible. The 50-year-old Welshman broke the record previously held by Ray Reardon, who reached the final at 49 in 1982.

“I shouldn't really be competing with the number one player in the world over three days in a first-to-17, but somehow I'm plodding along for us oldies,” Williams said in a post-match interview with the BBC, humbly acknowledging his remarkable achievement.

MARK WILLIAMS IS A HALO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALIST! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

The Welsh Potting Machine beats Judd Trump 17-14 to reach his fifth Crucible final!#HaloWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/yhlP2uCykK

— WST (@WeAreWST) May 3, 2025

Mark Williams expressed his astonishment at reaching another World Championship final, saying, “I can't believe I'm in another final. I don't know how I'm doing to be honest.”

The 50-year-old former three-time champion showed remarkable resilience, coming back from 7-3 down to level the match at 8-8 after Friday's play and later leading 13-11 after Saturday's first session before ultimately defeating Judd Trump 17-14.

Judd Trump mounted a late comeback after falling 16-12 behind, winning two consecutive frames. However, Mark Williams ultimately sealed his place in the final with a century clearance, defeating Trump 17-14.

Rolling back the years 🙌

Mark Williams becomes the oldest World Snooker Championship finalist aged 50, as he bids for his fourth world title 🏆 pic.twitter.com/sbJztAIHOb

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 3, 2025

 

Williams will face Zhao Xintong in the final, who reached his first World Championship decider with a 17-7 win over Ronnie O'Sullivan. Williams reflected on Zhao's rise, saying, ”I remember playing him when he was 11 or 12 in China. We played a best-of-five; he beat me 3-1, there was about 500 people there and it was live on TV.”

“I told everyone then that he's going to be pretty good. It would be a great occasion if a Chinese player wins the World Championship and great for our sport, but not just yet.”