Neil Robertson v Mark Williams live stream | Masters Snooker 2022 preview
Robertson and Williams are in action on Monday (ChinaImages/SIPA USA/PA Images)
Neil Robertson and Mark Williams collide in the first of two mouth-watering Masters Semi-Finals on Saturday.
Two of the most decorated left-handers in snooker history do battle for the right to progress to the final at the Alexandra Palace.
Between them, they boast three Masters titles, 12 Triple Crowns and 45 triumphs in ranking events.
For each player, this will be their fifth appearance in the last four of the game’s most prestigious invitational, with both having prevailed in three of their previous such matches.
Champion in the inaugural tournament played at Ally Pally in 2012, Robertson has grown as the week has progressed.
Though not firing on all cylinders, he got the job done in his 6-3 win over Anthony McGill, before producing the goods on the big stage to defeat seven-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-4.
The Australian is now just two victories away from becoming the 10th multiple champion of this great event.
He has also won all three previous Masters meetings with Williams – two of which were played on January 15, including a 6-0 whitewash on his first appearance as a seeded player in 2007.
You must go back to 2010 for the last time the Welshman appeared in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Indeed, the two-time champion arrived at Alexandra Palace with a below-par record in recent years, having suffered three successive first-round defeats.
Nevertheless, the world number eight has looked sharp; dethroning reigning champion Yan Bingtao 6-4 from 3-1 down, before prevailing 6-5 in his epic clash with John Higgins.
And the 46-year-old is now two wins away from joining Mark Selby, Cliff Thorburn and the late Paul Hunter on three titles.
The winner will take on either Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins in Sunday’s showpiece.
Play gets underway at 1.30pm GMT on Saturday with the match contested over the best of 11 frames at the Alexandra Palace.
