Mark Williams has a question to answer right now after the uk snooker missed yet another opportunity today…..
Snooker legend Mark Williams has issued a grovelling apology after embarrassingly falling asleep during a match
at the UK Championship.
The three-time world champion nodded off in his chair as he was beaten 6-5 by Anthony Hamilton in the second round of the Triple Crown event in York.
Mark Williams has a question to answer right now after the uk snooker missed yet another opportunity today…..
Williams, 46, was 3-2 up when he took the impromptu snooze and blamed his tiredness on the after-effects of Covid-19.
The two-time UK champion missed the European Masters and English Open after contracting the virus in October before returning to action at the Champion of Champions event.
MARK SELBY BEATS BARRY HAWKINS 6-5!
A brilliant match between two brilliant players and men, a final frame of just under an hour. Mark was better, overall, and well deserves his last-eight meeting with Judd Trump. So do we!
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (63-57)
Left stuck to the black from behind, blue otherwise cuttable into the yellow bag, Mark has a long look at it … and left with no decent safety, smokes down a glooorious pot! OH YES! Ands then he only catches the knuckle to perfect on the pink! This for the match…
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (57-57)
Pink and black are now on the top cushion, then Barry knocks the former out and changes things again. This is a great exchange, seven minutes on the blue so far and no resolution in sight.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (57-57)
This game! Barry never looks in full control, and coming up for the blue, he snookers himself on it behind the black. The escape is no problem, but that was a chance to win frame and match and losing it will knack. And now look! Barry, snookered and seeking a thin contact, fouls, leaving a cut-back. Except Mark knows he can’t get onto the pink, which is on the top rail, so has him put back. It takes a while, Barry making it harder for himself by having the ref move the white. He hits, narrowly avoids the in-off, and round we go. What a frame this is; what a match this has been.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (52-50)
He plays safe, sending it to the side, white hidden by black; Barry hits from behind, but leaves a cut to the yellow. One good pot and this is over; I bet Barry thinks it’s over; and Mark misses! Chance for The Hawk, and he sees away the final red, then a delicate green. Brown to blue will be tricky – blue is near the top rail – but we’ve a new favourite for the match, and it’s the man who’s trailed for almost all of it.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (52-44)
NO WAY! Barry tries to screw up the table off the yellow, looking to win the match, only to find himself on, not above, the top cushion, pink blocking the route to red. He has to go down the table and off the bottom rail to hit a ball 30cm away, brilliant; and he misses twice, then hits … but has he left it? It might be a cut-back, but the pink might be in its path to right corner. If Mark pots it, it’s the match, but he could probably find a decent safety…
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (44-37)
Whoops. Barry knocks a red safe trying to develop two, plays for it, misses the blue, and Mark will address it down the rail with the rest … and it wobbles but stays up! Another chance for Bazza, two reds now left and on one black cush.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (44-35)
Now then! Mark leaves a cut to left corner, Barry downs it, but soon has to play safe … and gets white in behind the brown. This is getting every bit as nervy and messy as it should do, the four remaining reds more pottable than before. And have a look! Though Mark escapes the first snooker, Barry then lays a beauty, green and blue blocking the route to the reds, white near the bottom rail; he misses … AND HE CATCHES THE JAWS OF MIDDLE! CHANCE FOR BARRY!
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (44-15)
NOOOOO! Trying to force down a black to force an angle on the next ball, Barry misses the pot, and we’re back chasing reds; there are five left, none nicely situated.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (44-8)
Barry rams a red to left corner! The blue follows, he’s on another red, and though there are four on one side and one on another, he’ll take this; Mark will be concerned.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (44-1)
The black is now in play and Barry attacks one to right corner, it whizzes out of the jaws, along the rail, then in and out of the jaws of left. Mark immediately pokes down with the rest, and he’s looking good. Black to middle, into the three reds under the pink and is he on one…? He is not!
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (36-1)
Mark has a really good go at a long one and can afford to performatively look to the heavens, knowing he’s got a good white and left nothing. Or has he? From the side rail, Barry clicks into left-middle, so it’ll be a safety and end of break. The way the balls are – blue in baulk. black near the side, pink atop a cluster – Mark’s lead looks very handy.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (36-0)
Mark is as Mark does. He removes loose reds, goes into the pack off the black … and he’s on nowt! Are we getting our purist’s epic?
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS (4-0)
Barry dangles a tempter but Mark overcuts it by a way. looking to err thin not thick. No matter: on the stretch towards the middle of the table, he cracks down a starter, adds the green, and this is already a good opportunity.
SELBY 5-5 HAWKINS
The friends shake hands and off we go.
