Williams Trails Gilbert After Two Sessions

Defending Betfred World Champion Mark Williams goes into the third session of his second round battle against David Gilbert 9-7 behind.

They return at 7pm tonight with first to 13 frames to go through to the quarter-finals to face Barry Hawkins or Kyren Wilson. Williams, who lifted the trophy for the third time last year, must win six of the last nine frames to keep his defence going.

The Welshman was in the emergency department at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield until late last night suffering from chest pains, but after being advised that it wasn’t a heart problem he was able to play this morning.

Gilbert, aiming to reach the quarter-finals at the Crucible for the first time, led 5-3 overnight and won the first frame today with a break of 82. Williams took the next two before Gilbert’s run of 100 made it 7-5. Tamworth’s Gilbert added the next as well before Williams made 86 and 101 to close to 8-7.

In the last frame of the session, Williams was in first with a run of 68, but Gilbert’s brilliant 69 clearance gave him the advantage.