Mark Williams feels it would be a final for the old-timers if he and John Higgins came through their respective semi-finals at the Snooker World Championship. Williams trailed Barry Hawkins 9-7 and Higgins led Kyren Wilson 13-11 after Friday’s play and it looks set to be tense and thrilling day in Sheffield for a place in the final.
Higgins has won the title four times to date, in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011 while the Welshman claimed the spoils in 2000 and 2003 and both seem to be playing somewhere near the top of their game despite being the wrong side of 40. It remains to be seen if the veteran duo can progress to the final but Williams would be happy to square off with his old foe. “It would be unbelievable to have two forty-somethings in the final if me and John somehow made it – that would be crazy after all these years,” he said. “And both of us are just enjoying this one, you can tell that. Let’s hope it can happen.”
The draw opened up once both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby were beaten early on in the tournament and there is maybe a surprising look to the last-four matches. Williams is 5/4 to beat Hawkins, who is on offer at 61/100, while Higgins is priced at 1/5 and Wilson at 10/3, and the man from Ebbw Vale admitted he had no recollection of the last time he reached the last four in the World Championship. “I couldn’t even remember my last semi-final at the Crucible before this year, until someone reminded me it was against John back in 2011,” he added.
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