SSB - THE 2000s: WILLIAMS MAKES HIS MARK

[MySockPuppet]

Mark Williams may have gone off the boil in the latter part of the decade but, in its early years, he was the game’s most consistent force.

Ronnie O’Sullivan said, after beating him to reach the 2001 UK Championship final, that he would happily pay for him to go and lie on a beach so that he wouldn’t have to play him again.

With Williams at his best, it wasn’t just about potting and breakbuilding. He had a guile and table-craft that undid many a player.

When he won the 2003 LG Cup it meant he simultaneously held all four BBC titles, something only Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry had previously accomplished.

And when Williams was world no.1 he was as authentic a top dog as those twin titans.

A fiercely talented long potter, Williams was a better player than had been widely recognised. One of his great skills was in finding ways to win matches when not at his best. He invariably scrapped through a couple of rounds before upping his game and peaking at the business end of tournaments.

He trailed his fellow Welshman, Matthew Stevens, 13-7 in the 2000 World Championship final but, with his iron will to win kicking in, recovered to beat him 18-16.

It didn’t go to his head. His laid back nature – a stark contrast to his competitive disposition in the arena – remained despite his success.

He was in some ways a reluctant world no.1. Media interviews did not come easily to him. He didn’t push himself forward or attempt to cultivate an image for himself.

On the table, he was on fire. From February 1998 to November 2003 he successfully negotiated the opening round of 48 successive ranking events, a record that will take some beating.

In this period he won a second UK Championship title, pipping Ken Doherty 10-9 in 2002.

Doherty was also his victim in a thrilling 2003 Crucible final, which Williams led 11-4 before being severely tested and eventually winning 18-16.

He also won a second Wembley Masters title in 2003 and that year became only the third player, after Davis and Hendry, to win the ‘big three’ in the same season.

He thus became – and remains – only the second player to win more than £700,000 in a single campaign.

In 2005, he made a Crucible maximum but Williams’s consistency left him for various reasons, one of which was possibly a sense of contentment at his achievements.

He won the 2006 China Open but would drop out of the top 16 in 2008 after some very disappointing results.

He’s back now and, though not fully returned to his best, is still a player nobody wants to draw.


More...

[Odrl]

On the table, he was on fire. From February 1998 to November 2003 he successfully negotiated the opening round of 48 successive ranking events, a record that will take some beating.

That's a very interesting fact, from a statistical point of view. If my number is correct, Williams has only reached the QF stage of ranking events 52 times in his career. If you look at stats a couple of years ago, around 2004, Williams was level with Higgins and O'Sullivan on ranking titles, but always quite a bit behind in QF appearances. These are two "incompatible" facts in a way. You have a player who "never" loses in the 1st round, but doesn't reach the QF stage with any consistency either.

So, is it a case of Williams meeting easier or inexperienced opposition in 1st rounds, and sometimes winning with his reputation more than his snooker? And then he would be caught out against another top16 player in the 2nd round, if he wasn't up to it?

I can only speculate, as I wasn't yet a snooker fanatic for most of Williams' peak.

I did however enjoy some of his more recent triumphs. The 2006 China Open was a great tournament for him. He only lost 5 frames in 4 matches prior to the final. The SF against Ding was especially impressive, as Ding held two titles at the time, and was still very much at his early best. The final was pretty good, though it was not Williams' best match of the week. I remember a "funny" incident in the decider, when Eurosport lost the picture as Williams was clearing up the colours. When it came back, the winning ceremony was already in progress, and Mike Smith had to inform the viewers that Williams did apparently clear up. It was kind of pathetic.

What else? The WC maximum in 2005, in a 10-1 trashing of Robert Milkins. He went about that break so nonchalantly that I still can't quite believe it. But that's just Williams for you. In a way, it was a similar break to the 142 he had in the Grand Prix recently, which is so far my favourite break of the season. Incidentally, that run to the SF is a pretty promising case of sustained good play by Williams (with a crappy couple of frames in the match against Hendry), so I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's up for the final event of the decade next month.

I could mention a couple of earlier tournaments I've seen footage of as well, but I do prefer talking about the events where I have a personal recollection of the atmosphere and the context. So if anyone else wants to reminisce...

[Looki]

So, is it a case of Williams meeting easier or inexperienced opposition in 1st rounds, and sometimes winning with his reputation more than his snooker? And then he would be caught out against another top16 player in the 2nd round, if he wasn't up to it?

It's virtually impossible to get an "easy draw" (if such a thing exists) in the first round of 48 consecutive ranking tournaments. The latter might be true to some extent. Anyway, I think it's quite remarkable record and shows how consistent he used to be.

[Templeton Peck]

I recall one remarkable best-of-9 first round match against David Gray who made centuries against him and he still won. Williams was a good pressure player and there is arguably more pressure on a 1st round match than there is on a Last 16 or QF match so maybe relaxed a little afetr getting through. Once you get to the semis again the pressure is back on with a place in the final at stake which explains why at one point he was level with Higgins and O'Sullivan on titles but with far fewer quarter finals.

[Odrl]

It's virtually impossible to get an "easy draw" (if such a thing exists) in the first round of 48 consecutive ranking tournaments. The latter might be true to some extent. Anyway, I think it's quite remarkable record and shows how consistent he used to be.

Yeah, he must have got his share of the tougher ones. But he was the number one for a part of that period, and if you think about it... O'Sullivan as number one today is a big favourite against anyone he meets in the 1st round and he doesn't lose often either... In fact, I can only think of 3 occasions in the last 5 years. And two of those were against "tricky" opposition in Maguire and Fu, and Wattana was the third one.

Oh, just thought of another one, against Michael Holt.

[montoya10]

Yeah, he must have got his share of the tougher ones. But he was the number one for a part of that period, and if you think about it... O'Sullivan as number one today is a big favourite against anyone he meets in the 1st round and he doesn't lose often either... In fact, I can only think of 3 occasions in the last 5 years. And two of those were against "tricky" opposition in Maguire and Fu, and Wattana was the third one.

Oh, just thought of another one, against Michael Holt.

Ronnie found some consistency recently, and he has been winning first round matches with a good percentage since his career started to take off, I think..

By the way, Mark has been either number one or two in a five year period at the start of the decade.. Surprising that he converted consistency into considerably little success..Maybe this is because him being either excellent or out-of sorts from tournament to tournament.It might be argued that with such inconsistent form, 48 opening round wins in a row is impossible, but I think it is, look at Ronnie, he has not been perfect in the last couple of seasons, especially in the first matches of the events, but still he is too good to get knocked down..

[Templeton Peck]

I think Williams used up all his first round passes! If Ebdon can reach world finals at 35 and win the UK at 36 then there is absolutely no excuse for Williams not getting back to winning titsle.

[RocketRoy1983]

It's gonna be a big ask for Mark J to win a ranking now as his hunger is not there for me.

[Alex0paul]

On Williams' record of 48 consecutive 1st round wins, a lot of 1st round matches were last 64 so he would have had to win two more to reach quarter finals.

[Templeton Peck]

Yeah but surely the same principle applies to Ronnie and Higgins.

[montoya10]

I think Williams used up all his first round passes! If Ebdon can reach world finals at 35 and win the UK at 36 then there is absolutely no excuse for Williams not getting back to winning titsle.

I hope to see him back there, too.. I have a feeling that he is just too good to win his last title at the age of 31.. Still, we'll have to wait and see what this season will bring to him..