Williams through to last four

Mark Williams reached his first Crucible semi-final since the year he won his second world title as he finished off Mark Allen’s challenge yesterday.

The 36-year-old Welshman triumphed at the World Championship in 2000 and 2003 but has struggled for results in Sheffield in the years since, reaching just one quarter-final in seven years prior to his current run.

He led Northern Ireland cueman Allen 11-5 overnight and soon added the two frames he required, to win 13-5 and set up a last-four clash with John Higgins or Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Allen left a red hanging over a pocket for Williams in the opening frame of the day, which proved costly as a 61 break followed.

When Allen missed a sitter of a red at 39-17 ahead in the next, Williams was in to fire a match-clinching clearance of 65.

Williams is relishing the prospect of another semi-final. “It’s been a long time, eight years. It’ll be nice,” Williams said.

“Once it goes down to one table it’s totally different . You’ve got loads of room and that’s when it becomes a real venue. I haven’t been there for so long, I’m looking forward to it.”

Williams and Allen both agreed the result of the opening session had been key to the outcome of their clash.

“How I managed to be 5-3 up I’ll never know,” Williams said. “He was knocking in 50s and 60s for fun really, and I kept clearing up and nicking them.

“It probably hurt him a little bit early on and I dominated the match from thereon.”

Allen could not recover from that setback, and admitted he was still learning how to negotiate such important matches.

“I played probably the best snooker I’ve played in the tournament and managed to somehow throw three frames away. I made 59, 60 and 66 and lost all three frames,” 25-year-old Allen said.

“I should have been 6-2 in front but somehow I came out 5-3 down.

“But that’s what Mark does best. He knows how to win and he knows how to get the most out of a session which is something I’m still learning.

“From then on it was a struggle to hang on and he showed what a class player he was by pulling away easily.”

Other result: Trump bt Dott 13-5.