Mark Williams is through to the 42nd ranking event final of his career after scoring a 6-3 win over Si Jiahui at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh.
The Welshman now faces a showdown with Judd Trump over the best of 19 frames in tomorrow’s title match.
The winner will take home £500,000, which will make it the most lucrative match ever outside of the World Championship. Victory for three-time World Champion Williams would give him the biggest payday of his career.
Williams and Trump have done battle in some of the sport’s biggest matches in recent years. In the 2022 World Championship semi-finals Williams came from 9-3 down to force a decider but lost 17-16. They then met in the 2023 Masters final, where Trump prevailed 10-8 from 8-7 down.
Defeat for Si, who beat seven-time Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarters, means he will continue his wait for a maiden ranking title. However, his performance does allow him to break into the top 16 in the world for the first time, moving to 13th in the provisional world rankings with the £100,000 prize money.
It was Chinese 22-year-old Si who started fastest, firing in a fine break of 116 to win the opener. From there it was 26-time ranking event winner Williams who took charge. Runs 60, 97 and 77 helped him to four on the bounce and a 4-1 lead.
The next two frames were shared to leave Williams one away at 5-2, before a break of 136 kept Si in contention. There was to be no fightback though, with 49-year-old Williams making a match winning 80 in the ninth to prevail 6-3.
“It’s a big win for me. I’m an old man now! I think it is bound to get me in everything up until after the Tour Championship now,” said Williams.
“My eyes are deteriorating pretty quickly. On long balls I am seeing three of them but they say to hit the one in the middle and that’s what I’m doing. I have looked at getting my eyes done, but I’m guessing alright at the moment so I’m not going to bother.
“I think I’m a better all-round player than I was 20 years ago. I wish I could have my long game from then, but I think all round I’m better now than I’ve ever been. That is what is winning me the matches.”