Mark Williams reveals ‘mad’ moment after classic John Higgins win: ‘Unbelievable scenes!’

Mark Williams does not often give much away, but says the response he received after beating John Higgins at the Crucible on Wednesday did rustle up some emotions.

The Class of 92 legends played out a classic World Snooker Championship quarter-final, with Williams winning it 13-12 on the final black.

It was an epic tussle between the two all-time greats, with Higgins looking set to get across the winning line but missing the last blue, allowing Williams to knock in the final three balls for victory.

The 50-year-old was not exactly an emotional wreck, but having his family with him and the response from fans in Sheffield did stir up some feelings in him.

‘It was mad, yeah, because obviously I looked up my wife and boy up there, which was great,’ he said. ‘But then I’m walking through the corridor to the Winter Gardens and everyone’s, applauding me as I come through.

‘That was a little bit emotional because they’re applauding and shouting, “Well done!” From the time I got up, and all the way I got back to do this [press conference], which I’ve never really experienced before. Unbelievable scenes.’

The atmosphere at the Crucible for the brilliant match was superb, with the Welshman saying it was a complete contrast to his deciding frame defeat to Judd Trump at the Saudi Arabia Masters earlier this season.

‘Oh, it’s different class,’ he said of the Crucible. ‘You know, it’s full to the rafters. I played [Judd] Trump out there. There weren’t that many people there, you know?

‘You can’t create the atmosphere this place does. That was unbelievable. A standing ovation again, going up to 12-12. Just a brilliant occasion and I’ve come up on the right end.’

Williams was handed a great opportunity to win the match with just three balls left on the table but the first blue was tricky, especially to get good position on the pink.

The three-time world champion is known for his unflappable temperament and said he was still calm even at that crucial moment.

‘What a blue! Balls of steel,’ Williams said on the BBC. ‘I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say that.

‘It was such a tough shot. It was thinner than probably what it looked. Just went for it full-blooded, straight on the pink, straight on the black.

‘No nerves, no nothing. Just roll the pink in, roll the black in, shake his hand and come speak to you lot. There wasn’t one bit of nerves or shaking at any part of any of the shot. I don’t really get that.

‘My nerves are different. I might hit one a bit quick with a bit of power, that’s my nerves. For shaking or my heart pounding, never, just a handful of times in my whole career. I don’t know why, it’s just something…people say I’m lucky, I don’t know any different.’

The Welshman did admit that he was struggling before the final session, coming back on at 10am after a late finish last night and called upon the songs of a compatriot to get him through.

‘I was really drained this morning. We had two tough sessions. Finished late last night, and back on this morning,’ he said. ‘I was feeling really tired and drained in there.

‘I just kept playing Delilah on my phone and Boy from Nowhere from Tom Jones over and over, just to try and keep me with it because I was really, absolutely, mentally, really drained.

‘God knows how many times I repeated them songs. Even in the dressing room before I went out. They would just sing along, sing along. And I managed to scrape through. I’d rather have won 13-8 than gone through that.’

Next up for Williams is either Luca Brecel or Judd Trump in the semi-finals and he is not fussed which one comes through on Wednesday night.

‘Yeah, they are both good. Honestly, I don’t care,’ he said. ‘I’m in the semi-final, I’ll let them crack on.’