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Williams wins Champion of Champions after seeing off Xiao

Jonathan Davies in Champion of Champions

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Mark Williams v Xiao Guodong live stream | Champion of Champions Final preview

Williams was the last man standing in Bolton (Credit: Matchroom Sport)

Mark Williams landed his first Champion of Champions crown after beating Xiao Guodong 10-6 in Sunday’s final.

The Welshman became the seventh different winner of the popular invitational event, as he collected the top prize of ยฃ150,000 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in Bolton.

Williams, who had never won a match at the tournament prior to this week, established early control on the final by surging into a 5-0 lead, but was pegged back to 5-4 at the conclusion of the afternoon session.

Nevertheless, the 49-year-old restored his authority in the evening, winning five of the last seven frames to get over the line.

“I can’t believe it. I’m stood here just about to pick that trophy up,” he told ITV Sport. “I don’t know how I’m doing it really, but I’m sticking in there.

“Xiao’s played great all week. Even at 5-0 up, I didn’t really do much wrong for him to come back to 5-4. He just outplayed me for four frames. The interval came at a good time for me because, if it’d carried on, he was probably going to run away with it.

“It seems the older I’m getting, the more support I’m getting from the crowd, it’s unbelievable.

“I’m lost for words, I’m just over the moon. I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone any more, I’m just going to enjoy it.”

Williams opened with 65 before taking the second frame on the colours, while a break of 91 put him 3-0 to the good.

The three-time World champion then controlled the next two frames to make it five in a row, and led 55-0 in the sixth.

However, he scored just 12 more points during the remainder of the afternoon session – seven of which were penalty points.

Indeed, Xiao recovered to snatch that frame on the black, while breaks of 101 and 110 reduced the deficit to 5-4.

A tournament debutant following his recent Wuhan Open triumph, the Chinese had overturned 3-0 and 4-1 deficits to respectively deny Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby in deciding frames earlier this week, before dethroning reigning champion Mark Allen 6-3 in the semi-finals.

But the interval arguably came at the wrong time for him, with Williams able to regroup and produce contributions of 104, 62 and 80 to move 8-5 to the good in the evening.

Xiao – the first Chinese player to appear in a Champion of Champions final – rallied with a 43 clearance in the following frame, but the 49-year-old was not to be denied, with runs of 95 and 67 securing the victory.