Mark Williams wins first Champion of Champions title by beating Xiao Guodong
Welshman Williams, 49, surged into a 5-0 lead sooner than China’s Xiao reeled off four frames in a row, along side two century breaks.
After the interval, three-time world champion Williams compiled breaks of 104, 62, 80, 95 and 67 to seal the decide up, with Xiao most productive in a position to decide up the 12th and 14th frames.
“I will no longer think it,” Williams informed ITV. “I am stood here precise about to decide that trophy up and I develop no longer know the scheme I am doing it in actuality, however I am sticking in there.
“The interval came at the most effective doable time for me because if it carried on, he became as soon as potentially going to plug away with it.
“I am misplaced for words in actuality. I am over the moon.”
Despite defeat, Xiao, 35, is playing his most productive campaign as a talented and beat Ronnie O’Sullivan, Impress Selby and 2023 champion Impress Allen on his formulation to the final.