🎱 History in the Making: On Monday at the Xi'an Grand Prix in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province on the Chinese mainland, Welsh snooker ace Mark Williams, aged 50 years and 206 days, stunned fans by clinching the title with a 10-3 win over England's Shaun Murphy. This victory makes Williams the oldest player ever to win a ranking event, eclipsing the 43-year-old record set by Ray Reardon in 1982.
Williams grabbed control early, racing to a 7-1 lead after the first session. He kept the momentum rolling, closing out the final in style. After the last ball dropped, he shook hands with Murphy and tipped his cue to the crowd in a heartfelt salute to the spectators who cheered him on.
With this triumph, Williams bags his 27th career ranking title in his 44th final. Remarkably, he's now the first player to win ranking trophies in five different decades—starting in his teens, then his 20s, 30s, 40s, and now 50s. Talk about a legacy! ✨
Williams also pocketed £177,000 (around $236,000) and skyrocketed to fourth place in the world rankings, leapfrogging snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan. His last title was in April 2024, making this win a sweet return to form.
At 50 and still dominating the green baize, Mark Williams is proof that age is just a number. What's next for this snooker legend? Stay tuned—because the best is yet to come! 🔥
Reference(s):
Mark Williams becomes oldest winner of a snooker ranking tournament
cgtn.com
