Mark Williams has narrowed the gap to Mark Selby at the top of the world rankings following his victory in the World Open.

Having considered retirement at one stage, the Welshman is now just £308,750 behind the ‘Jester From Leicester’ following an upsurge in form that saw him clinch a third world title at the Crucible earlier this year. It has been a remarkable turnaround for the 43-year-old, who won the Sheffield showpiece in 2000 and 2003 but looked unlikely to add to that tally after a downturn in results.

However, he took out John Higgins 18-16 in a battle of the veterans and has won four ranking events within the past nine months. Victory in the 2017 Dafabet Northern Ireland Open was the catalyst for his resurgence and it is now conceivable that he could return to the top of the world rankings.

Selby might have something to say about that and plays Mei Xiwen in European Masters qualifying on Friday evening, with the Englishman on offer at 1.13 to progress and the man from China priced at 4.75.

He has much to defend in the rolling two-year list over the coming months and, if things go well for Williams, the Ebbw Vale man might topple Selby by the end of 2018.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, who pulled out of European Masters qualifying, has slipped to third, with Higgins and Judd Trump completing the top five. Next come Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins, Shaun Murphy, Kyren Wilson and former world champion Neil Robertson, with the Paul Hunter Classic now looming large on the horizon.