Mark Williams produced a magnificent burst of three consecutive centuries as he came from 4-2 down to beat David Gilbert 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Snooker Open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All-time great Williams rolled back the years with a fabulous spell in the closing stages, perhaps his best display since he beat Shaun Murphy 10-3 in the final of the Xi’an Grand Prix 12 months ago. On that occasion he became the oldest ever winner of a ranking title at the age of 50 years and 206 days, and the Welshman is now just two matches away from extending that record to 51 years and 218 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He meets Jak Jones on Saturday evening in his 71st ranking semi-final, and the left-hander is chasing a 28th title which would bring him level with Steve Davis in fifth place on the all-time list. Williams has been in fine shape this season, notably in a run to the final of the BetVictor English Open where he was runner-up to Ali Carter, but found another level tonight which was reminiscent of his heyday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After sharing the first two frames, Gilbert established a 4-2 lead with top breaks of 95 and 68. Williams then set the tie alight with 104, 115 and 101 to take a 5-4 advantage. Gilbert had first chance in frame ten but made just 25 before running out of position, and Williams created a chance with an astonishing long red along a side cushion, one of the shots of the season so far. He went on to make 68, and Gilbert’s hopes of forcing a respot ended when he missed the black after potting the last red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In the first four frames I was dead and buried, I couldn’t make a 30 break,” said Williams, who lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in Belfast in 2017. “I don’t know where it came from after the interval, to make three centuries and a 68. I’m over the moon with the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The red in the last frame was the only one I could see and I played it in such a way that, as long as it didn’t wobble in the pocket, I wasn’t going to leave anything. It was probably a one-in-20 shot but it went straight in the hole. I’m just trying my best and I’ve been pretty consistent this season. I can’t ask for more than that. I was garbage in the first four frames today and then excellent in the last four.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jones is the only player to win two ranking titles this season and he strengthened his bid for a third with a tense 6-5 victory over Scott Donaldson. The Cwmbran cueman had never previously been beyond the last 32 of this event but is now relishing the chance to take on Williams in the superb Waterfront Hall arena tomorrow night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
World number 24 Jones is into the sixth ranking semi-final of his career and is looking to add to the Championship League and British Open trophies he has lifted within the past three months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first six frames tonight were shared then Scotland’s Donaldson edged ahead with a break of 78. Jones took the next two and had chances to win 6-4, but a safety battle on the final black in frame ten was resolved when Donaldson clipped it into a baulk corner. The Perth cueman then had first opportunity in the decider but made just 3 before an attempted red to a top corner stayed in the jaws. Saving his best for last, Jones made a clinical 84, his highest break of the tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I didn’t feel too good tonight but I stuck in there,” said 33-year-old Jones. “At the beginning a few flicks went against me and it got on top of me. From 4-3 down I felt better and I’m pleased with the way I finished the match. Keeping a good mentality during matches is the biggest thing I need to improve on and I’m working on it. To make a one-visit break in the last frame was pleasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It doesn’t get much bigger than playing Mark Williams in a venue like this. A lot of players say the one-table set-up here is unbelievable. I’ll be the underdog but I’ll give it my best shot.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Kyren Wilson reached his first ranking event semi-final in 19 months as he thrashed Anthony McGill 6-1 to raise his hopes of a second title in Belfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a repeat of their famous 2020 Crucible semi-final, which Wilson won 17-16, the Englishman got the better of McGill again, but this time by a one-sided scoreline as he fired breaks of 77, 75 and 122 in a fine display. On Saturday afternoon, Wilson will face Sam Craigie, who reached the second ranking semi-final of his career with a 6-2 victory over Elliot Slessor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though he won huge invitation events last season at the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, Kettering’s Wilson has struggled to produce his best in ranking events and surprisingly this is his best run since he won the Players Championship in March 2025. The 34-year-old has looked sharp and confident this week, making three centuries and eight more breaks over 50 in his four matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently ranked ninth, Wilson is down in 23rd in the projected list for the Crucible in April, so needs a significant move to climb into the top 16 in that race. If he can go all the way to the Alex Higgins Trophy this weekend – as he did in 2024 – then his position will be far more favourable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I felt like I had to be a little bit more creative today against Anthony,” said 2024 Crucible king Wilson, who is into his 32nd career ranking semi-final and is chasing an 11th title. “There were a couple of opportunities to play for snookers or play a safety shot and I just tried to push the boat out to create an opportunity to win the frame in one visit. I nicked the first frame and if you can get off to a good start it just settles the nerves and you can gather some momentum, get the crowd on your side and release the shackles a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’ve played some really good matches this season and won games against some great players. It’s been nice to keep a high level of intensity and performance in every match I’ve played so far this week. I’m just focused on trying to win tournaments because if you can do that then any concerns about the rankings will be a distant memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you look at some of the matches this week, there have been great performances from players that you might not necessarily think could have beaten the top 16 seeds. The gap between the players at the bottom of the rankings and those at the top is so much closer nowadays.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n