Mark Williams recovered a 5-4 overnight deficit to reel off six consecutive frames against Jimmy Robertson, winning 10-5 to reach the last 16 of the Cazoo World Championship for the 21st time.
As omens go, this is a very good one for Williams, as he beat the same player by the same scoreline in 2018 and went on to win the tournament. His progress was in doubt when he fell behind in the first session on Sunday, but the three-time Crucible king rose to the occasion today to run out a comfortable winner.
The 48-year-old Welshman, making his 25th Crucible appearance, sets up an intriguing second round clash with Luca Brecel, who edged past Ricky Walden 10-9. That contest starts on Thursday afternoon and concludes on Friday.
World number eight Williams reached the final of the Cazoo Masters in January and the semi-finals here in Sheffield last year – losing narrowly both times to Judd Trump. He thrives on the big occasion and, having played consistently well this season, he will be quietly confident of another deep run.
Breaks of 51, 69, 64 and 84 helped give Williams the first five frames today and put him 9-5 ahead. Robertson, who has now played five times at the Crucible without making it past the opening round, had chances in frame 15 but couldn’t launch a fight back. When he missed a long pot on the third-last red at 42-42, his hopes were gone as Williams rounded off the match with a run of 33.
“I played really solid today and put the pressure on Jimmy,” said Williams. “He missed a few that he wasn’t missing yesterday. My form has been good this season. I nearly won the Masters. I am still here and still doing it, I am moulding into a solid player all round. My potting is not as good as it used to be but my all-round game now is probably better than it was years ago.
“Sometimes there are long pots which I would have gone for in the past and got them nine times out of ten. These days my eyes are not as good so I turn them down. It will be a tough game against Luca but I’m not worried about anyone else, I’ll just try my best. And if I win the tournament again, this time all my clothes are staying on!”
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