Mark Williams was forced to dredge up every inch of his Crucible experience to sink rising Chinese star Wu Yize 10-8 and book his place in the last 16 of the World Snooker Championship for the 22nd time in his career.
Williams, who turned 50 last month, delivered two near-faultless final frames to hold off his opponent, who had missed a golden chance to seize a 9-7 advantage when he missed a frame-ball red with the rest.
The Welshman’s win was all the more remarkable given his struggles with failing eyesight. Williams said his eyes had “completely gone” after defeat by Ding Junhui in the Players’ Championship in March, and he is understood to be considering surgery.
The 21-year-old Wu, one of the audacious stars of China’s latest generation of cueists, had gripped on to Williams’ coattails after resuming 5-4 behind on Sunday, and when the younger man nudged in front in the 15th frame the momentum appeared to have shifted in his favour. Instead a lapse in concentration in the 16th frame cost him dear, Williams using all his guile to pull level before brilliantly crafted breaks of 58 and 75 got him over the line.
“Some of the balls he can pot is incredible and he’s got the ability to win this tournament, no question,” Williams said of Wu afterwards. “But I got stronger towards the end and if I can’t outscore or outpot him, I suppose I can outwit him.”
Chris Wakelin withstood a stirring comeback from Neil Robertson to beat the Australian former champion 10-8 and seal his place in the second round for the first time. The 33-year-old from Rugby, who had not won a match at the famous venue in three previous attempts, resumed with a 7-2 lead but was rooted in his seat as Robertson reeled off five frames on the bounce to haul the match back level.
However, Wakelin recovered his form at the right time, twice poking his nose back in front before riding his luck to clinch a dramatic 18th frame and finally confirm his place in the last 16.
Also in a drama-filled evening session, 11th seed Barry Hawkins surrendered a slender overnight advantage to Iranian qualifier Hossein Vafaei, whose pressure-filled break of 73 in the decider sealed a 10-9 win and a second round meeting with Williams.
Mark Allen dug deep to chisel out a 5-4 overnight advantage against China’s world No 46 Fan Zhengyi. Qualifier Fan – who was beaten 10-5 by the Antrim man in the same round two years ago – made a blazing start, winning the first three frames including breaks of 89 and 103, before the eighth seed belatedly stirred.
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A century of his own followed by two more breaks over 50 pulled Allen level, and after the pair split the two frames, Allen stepped up to nudge through a scrappy ninth and give him a slender advantage for when they return to play to a conclusion on Monday afternoon.
Earlier, the Chinese surge had showed no sign of abating as Xiao Guodong and Zhao Xintong produced impressive displays on the second morning of the tournament. Xiao followed compatriot Lei Peifan – who stunned defending champion Kyren Wilson on Saturday night – into the last 16 after completing a 10-4 victory over qualifier Matthew Selt.
Zhao, having battled through four qualifying rounds as he continues his comeback from a ban related to a betting scandal, built a 7-2 lead after the first session of his clash with last year’s runner-up, Jak Jones.