Mark Williams (snooker player)
Encyclopedia
Mark James Williams, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

(born 21 March 1975, Cwm, Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

) is a Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 professional snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

 player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine. He has been ranked the world number 1 for a total of three seasons in his career.

The first left-handed player to win the World Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...

, Williams has won 18 ranking tournaments (fifth on the all-time list), including the UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...

 twice, in 1999 and 2002. He has also won the Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...

 on two occasions, in 1998 and 2003. Williams' most successful season in his career to date was the 2002/2003 season
Snooker season 2002/2003
The snooker season 2002/2003 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2002 and 2003. This was the final season to have tobacco sponsored events to a legal ban apart from Embassy which would continue to sponsor the World Championship for another two years...

, when he won the acclaimed treble of tournaments (known as the Triple Crown): the UK Championship, the Masters and the World Championship. He is only the third player after Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...

 and Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...

 to win all three Triple Crown events in one season. Following his second World Championship his form declined, and he dropped out of the top 16 following the 2007/2008 season
Snooker season 2007/2008
The Snooker Season 2007/2008 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2007 and 2008. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events...

, but regained his place for 2009/2010
Snooker season 2009/2010
The snooker season 2009/10 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2009 and 2010. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :- Official rankings :...

. He is one of only several players who have compiled over 200 centuries, as he has compiled over 250 century breaks, 8th on the all-time list.

Early career

Williams started playing snooker at an early age and scored his first century when he was 13. He won his first junior event when he was 11 and it was then that he realised that he wanted to pursue a career as a snooker player. He was encouraged to play by his father Dilwyn, who was a miner. When he was 15 he did a 12 hour shift down the mines. Williams was also a promising Amateur boxer being undefeated in 12 fights as a schoolboy, but he decided to pursue his snooker career instead. He turned professional in 1992 and finished his first season ranked 119th, and within three seasons was ranked in the Worlds top 16, breaking into the 16 for the 1996/1997 season
Snooker world rankings 1996/1997
Snooker world rankings 1996/1997: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1996/1997 season are listed below.-References:...

.
Williams` first ranking tournament win came in January 1996 when he claimed the Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...

 title, beating John Parrott
John Parrott
John Parrott MBE is an English professional snooker player and TV personality.He won the World Snooker Championship in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final. Two years earlier he had lost 3–18 to Steve Davis, the heaviest final defeat in modern times...

 9–3 in the final. After failing to qualify for the 1996 World Championship he won the first ranking event of the new season – the Grand Prix – in October 1996, beating surprise finalist Euan Henderson
Euan Henderson
Euan Henderson is a retired Scottish professional snooker player. In his twelve year professional career he reached only one ranking final, in the 1996 Grand Prix albeit without beating any of the game's established leading players, although his 6-3 semi-final win over Welsh veteran Mark Bennett...

 9–5 in the final. In 1997 he also won the British Open
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....

, beating Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...

 9–2 in the final. He also beat Hendry in the final to win his first Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...

 title in 1998, winning on the final black 10–9 after recovering from 6–9 down, in a thrilling final. At the 1997 World Championship he was drawn against Terry Griffiths
Terry Griffiths
Terrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...

, the latter's last appearance at the Crucible as a player, he eventually beating his coach 10–9 on the black but lost 8–13 to Hendry in the last-16.
In 1998 World Championship he reached the semi-finals, and the next year was runner-up to Hendry.

1999–2004

The 1999/2000 season
Snooker season 1999/2000
The snooker season 1999/2000 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1999 and 2000. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

 was a very successful one for Williams, winning both the UK Championship and the World Championship. These results, along with another ranking title and three runner-up positions, allowed him to capture the world number 1 position for the first time. In the World Championship final he came from 7–13 behind his fellow countryman, Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005...

 to eventually win 18–16. He also produced a notable comeback in his semi-final match against John Higgins, coming from 10–14 down to win 17–15. Williams won only one ranking event in the following season
Snooker season 2000/2001
The snooker season 2000/2001 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2000 and 2001. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

, the Grand Prix, with a 9–5 victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...

 in the final, but he was a runner-up in two other ranking events, the UK Championship and the China Open. This was enough to retain his number 1 ranking, although his title defence at the World Championship fell in the second round with a 12–13 defeat to Joe Swail
Joe Swail
-External links:*...

.

In the 2001/2002
Snooker season 2001/2002
The snooker season 2001/2002 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2001 and 2002. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

 season Williams also only won one ranking tournament, as he struggled to find the form from the previous season
Snooker season 1999/2000
The snooker season 1999/2000 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1999 and 2000. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

, winning the China Open, where he defeated Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (snooker player)
Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...

 9–8 from 5–8 down in the final. However, he lost to the same player 9–13 in the second round of the World Championship and the number 1 ranking to Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Another strong performance came in 2002/2003
Snooker season 2002/2003
The snooker season 2002/2003 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2002 and 2003. This was the final season to have tobacco sponsored events to a legal ban apart from Embassy which would continue to sponsor the World Championship for another two years...

 season when he won the UK Championship, Masters and World Championship titles. This made him only the fourth player after Hendry, Davis and John Higgins to hold these titles simultaneously, and only the third player after Davis and Hendry to have won them all in one season. These results enabled him to reclaim the number 1 spot at the of the season. In the UK Championship final he beat Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...

 10–9, and in the Masters he beat Hendry 10–4, Before the 2003 World Championship he had a scare with his cue when it was damaged and badly bent on his flight with Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....

 to play in the Irish Masters, but he had it repaired before the tournament.

On his way to winning the 2003 World title, he had a relatively untroubled route to the final with wins over Stuart Pettman
Stuart Pettman
Stuart Pettman is an English professional snooker player. The ginger-haired Preston native has qualified for the World Championship three times, in 2003, 2004 and 2010. He beat 2005 champion Shaun Murphy in qualifying to reach the 2004 World Championships...

 10–2, Quinten Hann
Quinten Hann
Quinten Hann is an Australian former professional snooker player who now plays professional pool. He was the 1999 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion and 1994 world under 21 champion. His highest break is 143...

 13–2, Hendry 13–7 and Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee is a professional snooker-player from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, whose smooth cue action is regarded by some pundits as the most natural in the game. He has won four ranking titles, and spent 10 seasons in the Top 16 of the world rankings before dropping out for the snooker...

 17–8 before facing Doherty in the final. He led 10–2, and looked to be heading for and easy victory, before Doherty fought back to 16–16. Williams regained his composure under intense pressure to win the last two frames and lift the trophy for the second time.

The following season
Snooker season 2003/2004
The snooker season 2003/2004 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2003 and 2004. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

, he lost in the first round of the UK Championship to Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien is an Irish professional snooker player. He has won one ranking title and reached two other major finals, and spent three seasons as a top 16 player.-Career:...

, a match which ended his record run of 48 tournaments in which he had won his first match, His defence at the 2004 World Championship started with a 10–7 win over Dominic Dale
Dominic Dale
-External links:**...

, but he lost 11–13 in the second round to Joe Perry
Joe Perry (snooker player)
-External links:*...

, and saw him endure a run of poor form over the 2004/2005 season
Snooker season 2004/2005
The snooker season 2004/2005 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2004 and 2005. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

 where he slid to 9th in the world rankings for 2005/2006
Snooker season 2005/2006
The snooker season 2005/06 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2005 and 2006. The following table outlines the results and dates for the ranking and major invitational events that took place.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

.

2005–2009

On April 20, in 2005 he became the first Welshman, and the fifth player in history to score a maximum break at the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....

 in the World Championship. This came in the final frame of a 10–1 first round victory over Robert Milkins
Robert Milkins
- External links :* * * *...

, but he lost in the second round to Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (snooker player)
-External links:**...

 12–13, in a high quality match.

On March 26, 2006, Williams won his 16th (and first ranking event in two and a half years), the China Open in Beijing, beating Higgins 9–8 in the final. This helped him return to the top 8 in the world rankings, after a dramatic fall in the provisional rankings which saw him facing a possible drop out of the top 16. He also showed good form in the 2006 World Championship, beating Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (snooker player)
Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...

 10–1 and Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...

 13–8 to set up a quarter-final clash with Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...

, the first time the two had met at the Crucible
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....

. The match was given extra tension considering they had been rivals, (although O'Sullivan has since said that the former feud has been replaced by friendship and respect). In a close fought match, O'Sullivan eventually won 13–11. It was revealed during that tournament that Williams had split with coach Terry Griffiths
Terry Griffiths
Terrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...

. The two remained very close friends, but Terry would no longer be coaching him. In late 2007, Williams returned to having Griffiths as his coach.

On September 2, 2006, Williams won the Pot Black
Pot Black
Pot Black was a British series of snooker tournaments televised by BBC, that played a large part in the popularisation of the modern game, from 1969 to 1986. The event was revived in the form of several one-off tournaments throughout the 1990s and up to 2007...

 trophy, after compiling a century break (119) in the final against John Higgins. However, Williams had perhaps the worst season of his career in 2006/2007
Snooker season 2006/2007
The snooker season 2006/2007 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2006 and 2007. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

, losing his first match in a string of tournaments (including the World Championship, for the first time ever), but he retained his top 16 place, mainly through the ranking points he had earned the previous season.

His first win of the 2007/2008 season
Snooker season 2007/2008
The Snooker Season 2007/2008 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2007 and 2008. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events...

 came in the Grand Prix with a 4–3 win over Ian McCulloch, but he still failed to qualify for the last 16 of the event and was outside the top 32 on the provisional ranking list.

In the UK Championship, he showed a return to some form. He beat Ricky Walden
Ricky Walden
-External links:**...

 comfortably 9–3 in the last 32, and in the last 16 he faced Mark Allen
Mark Allen (snooker player)
Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16...

 who led 4–0 and 5–1. However, a cool comeback saw him win the remaining 8 frames to win 9–5. In the quarter-finals, Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...

 was too strong and beat him 9–5. However, reaching the quarter-finals was a sign that Williams may be returning to form, boosted by the news that Terry Griffiths was coaching him again.

However, after a 2–6 first round loss to Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...

 in the Masters, Williams revealed he was considering retirement from the game, although only 32 years old, if he dropped out of the top 32 and was forced to play in all the qualifying competitions. But he also claimed at the Welsh Open at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...

 that this statement had been blown out of proportion, and that he would remain a professional. He began to show more consistency for the remainder of the season, reaching the last 16 of three ranking events and a run to the quarter-finals of the China Open, but he could not reach his first semi-final for 2 years, losing 3–5 against Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...

. At the World Championship he defeated Mark Davis
Mark Davis (snooker player)
Mark Davis is an English professional snooker player from St. Leonards in Sussex, England. The highlights of his career so far have been winning the Benson & Hedges Championship in 2002 – earning him an appearance at the Masters – and winning the 2009 Six-red World Championship.- Career :Davis...

, however a 7–13 defeat to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round forced him out of the top 16, pushing him into the qualifiers for 2008/2009. In that match he was on the receiving end of a 147 from O'Sullivan. On 8 July 2008 it was announced that Williams had split from his management company 110 Sport, following O'Sullivan and Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...

.

In 2008/2009 he reached the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters
2008 Shanghai Masters
The 2008Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 29 September and 5 October 2008 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...

 and UK Championship, but also suffered three qualifying defeats. The UK Championship particularly saw some return to form as he beat Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...

 and Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...

 9–7, before losing narrowly 8–9 to Ali Carter
Allister Carter
Allister "Ali" Carter is an English professional snooker player, who lives in Tiptree. He reached the final of the 2008 World Championship, his first major final. Although he lost heavily to Ronnie O'Sullivan, this run allowed him to reach the top 8 of the rankings for the first time...

. He also qualified for the World Championship but lost 7–10 to Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...

 after leading 7–5. During the end of the match he suffered some trouble with his tip. However, he had done enough to return to the top 16 at the end of the season.

2009/2010

The 2009/2010 season
Snooker season 2009/2010
The snooker season 2009/10 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2009 and 2010. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :- Official rankings :...

 started badly however when Williams broke his wrist in a fall at home, less than a month before the first ranking event of the season, the Shanghai Masters. Despite this injury he played in Shanghai, wearing a cast on his wrist because removal of the cast could have caused long term damage. There he won his first round match against Joe Swail
Joe Swail
-External links:*...

 5–3, but lost in the next round against John Higgins 1–5. In the Grand Prix he secured wins over Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose...

, Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...

 and Robert Milkins
Robert Milkins
- External links :* * * *...

 on his way to the semi-finals but despite racking up a 142 (the highest break of the tournament) in the first frame against Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...

, he lost 1–6.

In the UK Championship he lead Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...

 6–2, before Dott retired due to illness and thus winning the match 9–2. After this he lost his next match against Peter Lines
Peter Lines
Peter Lines is an English professional snooker player from Leeds. He practices at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.He qualified for the World Championship in 1998, compiling a magnificent 141 total clearance in the process before losing 10–3 to John Parrott in Round One...

 8–9. At the Masters he won his wild card round match, beating Rory McLeod
Rory McLeod (snooker player)
Rory McLeod is an English professional snooker player. After ten years on the Challenge Tour he reached the Main Tour professional ranks for the 2001/2002 season, paving the way for a solid journeyman career.-Career:...

 6–2. Then he won his first round match against Ali Carter
Allister Carter
Allister "Ali" Carter is an English professional snooker player, who lives in Tiptree. He reached the final of the 2008 World Championship, his first major final. Although he lost heavily to Ronnie O'Sullivan, this run allowed him to reach the top 8 of the rankings for the first time...

 6–3 to progress to the quarter-finals of the event, despite being involved in a traffic accident the day before his match against Carter. It was reported that a car drove into the back of the 4x4 his sponsors had lent him, which was carrying Williams and Stephen Hendry to a restaurant. In the quarter-finals he defeated Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy (snooker player)
Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...

 6–4, but eventually lost a high quality match in the semi-finals 5–6 against Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...

. In the Welsh Open, he reached the quarter-finals, beating Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien is an Irish professional snooker player. He has won one ranking title and reached two other major finals, and spent three seasons as a top 16 player.-Career:...

 5–2, Andrew Higginson
Andrew Higginson
Andrew Higginson is an English professional snooker player, currently living in Widnes. He is best known for reaching the final of the 2007 Welsh Open as a virtual unknown...

 5–0 before losing against Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...

 1–5.

After these signs of form, in April 2010 he won his first ranking tournament in four years – the China Open. On his way he beat Jamie Cope
Jamie Cope
-External links:***...

 5–3, the then reigning world champion John Higgins 5–2, Marco Fu
Marco Fu
Marco Fu Ka-chun , commonly known as Marco Fu, is a professional snooker player from Hong Kong. He currently resides in Happy Valley. He is best known for winning the 2007 Grand Prix, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final, and for being runner-up in the 2008 UK Championship...

 5–1 and Ali Carter 6–4, setting up a clash with Ding Junhui in the final. Trailing 3–5 at one point, Williams eventually won the match 10–6. This was Williams' 17th ranking event win and his 3rd China Open
China Open (snooker)
The China Open is a professional snooker tournament. It is one of a number of ranking tournaments and began in 1997.-History:The first international snooker tournament in China was the China International in September 1997, a non-ranking tournament for the top 16 players and local players. The...

. After his victory Williams said: "I'm over the moon to win again. It's been a long time coming but I've kept working hard and I felt that in the end the results would come."

In the World Snooker Championship Williams defeated Marcus Campbell
Marcus Campbell
Marcus Campbell is a Scottish professional snooker player. He lives in Erskine. He has been ranked within the worlds top 64 for 9 consecutive seasons and is currently ranked at 24.-Career:...

 10–5 in the first round, but lost his second round match against Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...

 10–13. He finished the season ranked 8th.

2010/2011

Williams opened the season by winning the first event of the Players Tour Championship
Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 1
-Section 2:-Section 3:-Section 4:-Section 5:-Section 6:-Section 7:-Section 8:-Finals:-Century breaks:*147 Kurt Maflin*141, 129 Mark Selby*138, 118 Tony Drago*137, 129, 124, 124, 114 Stephen Maguire*136 Jordan Brown*136 Dave Harold...

 by defeating Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...

 4–0 in the final, a new addition to the snooker calendar introduced by Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn is an English sporting events promoter, and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. He is currently the chairman of Leyton Orient F.C., and the Professional Darts Corporation and was also until July 2010 chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker...

, a series of events that Williams has supported. Williams finished 6th on the Players Tour Championship Order of Merit.

In the Shanghai Masters
2010 Shanghai Masters
The 2010 Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 6–12 September 2010 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China.Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, but he has withdrawn due to personal reasons....

 Williams won his first round match against Ricky Walden
Ricky Walden
-External links:**...

 5–3, but lost narrowly in the second round against Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...

 4–5. He than reached the semi-finals of the World Open
2010 World Open (snooker)
The 2010 12bet.com World Open professional ranking snooker tournament was held at the S.E.C.C., Glasgow between 18–26 September 2010. This was the first time that the World Open was sponsored by 12bet.com....

, where he lost 2–3 against eventual winner Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...

.

He was selected to compete in the 2010 Premier League
2010 Premier League Snooker
The 2010 PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker professional non-ranking snooker tournament was played from 2 September to 28 November 2010.Shaun Murphy was the defending champion, but Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated him 7–1 in the final.- Prize fund :...

, due to his success from the previous season, the first time he has competed in the event for five years, but failed to reach the semi-finals. At the UK Championship
2010 UK Championship (snooker)
The 2010 12BET.com UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 4–12 December 2010 at the Telford International Centre, Telford, England.Ding Junhui was the defending champion, but he lost 8–9 against Mark Allen in the last 16....

 he reached the final, his run including a 9–8 victory over Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy (snooker player)
Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...

 after trailing 6–8, but lost against John Higgins 9–10 in the final, after leading 7–2 and 9–5 at some points of the match. Williams' next tournament was the Masters
2011 Masters (snooker)
The 2011 Ladbrokes Mobile Masters professional non-ranking snooker tournament was held between 9–16 January 2011 at the Wembley Arena, London, England...

, where he lost 4–6 in the first round against Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...

. Williams won the first ranking event of 2011, the German Masters
2011 German Masters
The 2011 German Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 2–6 February at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany.The event was last held in 1998, but it was non-ranking...

, by defeating Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...

 9–7 in the final. At the China Open
2011 China Open (snooker)
The 2011 Bank of Beijing China Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 28 March and 3 April 2011 at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium, Beijing, China....

 Williams couldn't defend his title, as he lost in the first round 4–5 against Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee is a professional snooker-player from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, whose smooth cue action is regarded by some pundits as the most natural in the game. He has won four ranking titles, and spent 10 seasons in the Top 16 of the world rankings before dropping out for the snooker...

, despite making four centuries.

At the 2011 World Snooker Championship
2011 World Snooker Championship
The 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season...

, Williams defeated Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...

 10–5 in the first round, and Jamie Cope
Jamie Cope
-External links:***...

 13–5 in the second round. He then won his quarter-final against Mark Allen
Mark Allen (snooker player)
Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16...

 by the same scoreline, and in doing so he reached the semi-final stage for the first time since 2003, but lost 14–17 against John Higgins. As a result of Selby's exit from the tournament Williams became the new world number one after the event.

2011/2012

At the World Cup
2011 World Cup (snooker)
The 2011 World Cup professional non-ranking snooker tournament took place from 11 to 17 July 2011 at the World Trade Center in Bangkok, Thailand...

 Williams was partnered with Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005...

 to represent Wales, and they reached the semi-finals, but lost 1–4 against China. Williams then reached the final of the Australian Goldfields Open
2011 Australian Goldfields Open
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.-Preliminary round:...

, but lost 8–9 against Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose...

, after leading 8–5 at one point of the match. Williams also lost from in front in the final of the next major ranking event, the Shanghai Masters
2011 Shanghai Masters
The 2011 Bank of Communication Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 5–11 September 2011 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...

. His run to the final included a 6–5 win over Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...

 in the semi-final, and he led Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...

 9–7 in the final, but lost the last three frames to lose 9–10.

Playing style

Williams is believed by some snooker pundits to be one of the greatest long potters in the game. He has compiled over 250 competitive centuries during his career, eighth on the all-time list of century makers, despite a tendency to play exhibition shots when a frame is won. He is also well known for his ability to win scrappy frames with his tactical play and picking out .

An unorthodox aspect of his style is a tendency to play his cue directly underneath his body instead of using the rest, which he often does when a frame is won. He is partially colour-blind and has difficulty distinguishing between the red and brown balls, once even potting a brown ball believing it to be a red ball.

Personal life

Williams is also a keen poker player. He is proud of his Welsh heritage, and has a tattoo depicting the Welsh Dragon eating the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 flag. He and his fiancée Joanne have two sons: Connor (born April 2004), and Kian (born 2007). Williams is good friends with Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005...

 and Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...

, as well as boxer Joe Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe
Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....

. Williams was awarded an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 in June 2004.

Tournament wins and career rankings

Season Ranking
Snooker world rankings
The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association...

1993/94
Snooker season 1993/1994
The snooker season 1993/1994 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1993 and 1994. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

119
Snooker world rankings 1993/1994
Snooker world rankings 1993/1994: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 1993/1994 season are listed below.-References:...

1994/95
Snooker season 1994/1995
The snooker season 1994/1995 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1994 and 1995. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

58
Snooker world rankings 1994/1995
These are the Snooker world rankings of 1994–1995: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1994–1995 season are listed below.-References:...

1995/96
Snooker season 1995/1996
The snooker season 1995/1996 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1995 and 1996. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

39
Snooker world rankings 1995/1996
Snooker world rankings 1995/1996: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1995/1996 season are listed below.* Peter Francisco was banned for five years.-References:...

1996/97
Snooker season 1996/1997
The snooker season 1996/1997 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1996 and 1997. The following table outlines the results of the finals for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

16
Snooker world rankings 1996/1997
Snooker world rankings 1996/1997: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1996/1997 season are listed below.-References:...

1997/98
Snooker season 1997/1998
The snooker season 1997/1998 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1997 and 1998. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

4
Snooker world rankings 1997/1998
Snooker world rankings 1997/1998: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1997/1998 season are listed below.-References:...

1998/99
Snooker season 1998/1999
The snooker season 1998/1999 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1998 and 1999. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

5
Snooker world rankings 1998/1999
Snooker world rankings 1998/1999: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1998/1999 season are listed below.-References:...

1999/00
Snooker season 1999/2000
The snooker season 1999/2000 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1999 and 2000. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...

3
Snooker world rankings 1999/2000
Snooker world rankings 1999/2000: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1999/2000 season are listed below.-References:...

2000/01
Snooker season 2000/2001
The snooker season 2000/2001 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2000 and 2001. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

1
Snooker world rankings 2000/2001
Snooker world rankings 2000/2001: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 2000/2001 season are listed below.-References:...

2001/02
Snooker season 2001/2002
The snooker season 2001/2002 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2001 and 2002. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

1
Snooker world rankings 2001/2002
Snooker world rankings 2001/2002: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 2001/2002 season are listed below.-References:...

2002/03
Snooker season 2002/2003
The snooker season 2002/2003 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2002 and 2003. This was the final season to have tobacco sponsored events to a legal ban apart from Embassy which would continue to sponsor the World Championship for another two years...

2
Snooker world rankings 2002/2003
Snooker world rankings 2002/2003: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 2002/2003 season are listed below.-References:...

2003/04
Snooker season 2003/2004
The snooker season 2003/2004 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2003 and 2004. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

1
Snooker world rankings 2003/2004
Snooker world rankings 2003/2004: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2003/2004 season are listed below.-References:...

2004/05
Snooker season 2004/2005
The snooker season 2004/2005 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2004 and 2005. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

2
Snooker season 2004/2005
The snooker season 2004/2005 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2004 and 2005. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

2005/06
Snooker season 2005/2006
The snooker season 2005/06 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2005 and 2006. The following table outlines the results and dates for the ranking and major invitational events that took place.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

9
Snooker world rankings 2005/2006
Snooker world rankings 2005/2006: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2005/2006 season are listed below.-Note:...

2006/07
Snooker season 2006/2007
The snooker season 2006/2007 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2006 and 2007. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

8
Snooker world rankings 2006/2007
Snooker world rankings 2006/2007: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2006/2007 season are listed below.-Notes:...

2007/08
Snooker season 2007/2008
The Snooker Season 2007/2008 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2007 and 2008. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events...

12
Snooker world rankings 2007/2008
Snooker world rankings 2007/2008: The professional world rankings for the top 75 snooker players in the 2007/2008 season are listed below...

2008/09 22
Snooker world rankings 2008/2009
Snooker world rankings 2007/2008: The official world ranking points for the 96 professional snooker players in the 2007/2008 season are listed below. The total points from the seasons 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 were used to determine the rankings for the season 2008/2009.- Ranking points :...

2009/10
Snooker season 2009/2010
The snooker season 2009/10 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2009 and 2010. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :- Official rankings :...

15
Snooker world rankings 2009/2010
Snooker world ranking points 2008/2009: The official world ranking points for the 96 professional snooker players in the 2008/2009 season are listed below. The total points from the seasons 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 were used to determine the ranking for the season 2009/2010.- Ranking points :...

2010/11
Snooker season 2010/2011
The 2010/11 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2010 and 2011. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:...

8
Snooker world rankings 2010/2011
Snooker world rankings 2010/2011: The professional world rankings for all the professional snooker players who qualified for the 2010/2011 season are listed below. The rankings worked as a two-year rolling list. The points for each tournament two years ago were removed, when the corresponding...

2011/12
Snooker season 2011/2012
The 2011/12 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2011 and 2012. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:...

1
Snooker world rankings 2011/2012
Snooker world rankings 2011/2012: The professional world rankings for all the professional snooker players who qualified for the 2011/2012 season are listed below. The rankings work as a two-year rolling list. The points for each tournament two years ago will be removed, when the corresponding...


Ranking event finals: 28 (18 titles, 10 runner-ups)

EWLINE
Legend
World Championship (2–1)
UK Championship (2–2)
Other (14–6)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1. 1996 Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...

  9–3
Winner 2. 1996 Grand Prix   9–5
Winner 3. 1997 British Open
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....

  9–2
Winner 4. 1998 Irish Open
Malta Cup
The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...

  9–4
Winner 5. 1999 Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...

 (2)
  9–8
Winner 6. 1999 Thailand Masters   9–7
Runner-up 1. 1999 World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...

  11–18
Runner-up 2. 1999 Grand Prix   8–9
Winner 7. 1999 UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...

  10–8
Winner 8. 2000 Thailand Masters (2)   9–5
Winner 9. 2000 World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...

  18–16
Runner-up 3. 2000 Malta Grand Prix   3–9
Winner 10. 2000 Grand Prix (2)   9–5
Runner-up 4. 2000 Scottish Open
Players Championship (snooker)
The Players Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It is the most recent name of the ranking tournament held in Scotland every year. The tournament has had a bewildering number of name changes in its history. Until recently it was commonly known as the Scottish Open, and prior to that...

  1–9
Runner-up 5. 2000 UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...

  4–10
6. 2000 China Open
China Open (snooker)
The China Open is a professional snooker tournament. It is one of a number of ranking tournaments and began in 1997.-History:The first international snooker tournament in China was the China International in September 1997, a non-ranking tournament for the top 16 players and local players. The...

  3–9
Winner 11. 2002 China Open
China Open (snooker)
The China Open is a professional snooker tournament. It is one of a number of ranking tournaments and began in 1997.-History:The first international snooker tournament in China was the China International in September 1997, a non-ranking tournament for the top 16 players and local players. The...

9–8
Winner 12. 2002 Thailand Masters (3)   9–4
Winner 13. 2002 UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...

 (2)
  10–9
Runner-up 7. 2003 Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...

  5–9
Winner 14. 2003  
Winner 15. 2003   9–5
Winner 16. 2006 China Open
China Open (snooker)
The China Open is a professional snooker tournament. It is one of a number of ranking tournaments and began in 1997.-History:The first international snooker tournament in China was the China International in September 1997, a non-ranking tournament for the top 16 players and local players. The...

 (2)
  9–8
Winner 17. 2010 China Open
China Open (snooker)
The China Open is a professional snooker tournament. It is one of a number of ranking tournaments and began in 1997.-History:The first international snooker tournament in China was the China International in September 1997, a non-ranking tournament for the top 16 players and local players. The...

 (3)
  Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...

10–6
Runner-up 8. 2010
2010 UK Championship (snooker)
The 2010 12BET.com UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 4–12 December 2010 at the Telford International Centre, Telford, England.Ding Junhui was the defending champion, but he lost 8–9 against Mark Allen in the last 16....

UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...

 (2)
  9–10
Winner 18. 2011
2011 German Masters
The 2011 German Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 2–6 February at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany.The event was last held in 1998, but it was non-ranking...

German Masters   9–7
Runner-up 9. 2011
2011 Australian Goldfields Open
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.-Preliminary round:...

Australian Goldfields Open   8–9
Runner-up 10. 2011
2011 Shanghai Masters
The 2011 Bank of Communication Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 5–11 September 2011 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...

Shanghai Masters   9–10

Non-ranking event finals: 13 (4 titles, 9 runner-ups)

EWLINE
Legend
Masters (2–1)
Premier League (0–3)
Other (2–5)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1. 1994 Benson & Hedges Championship  England 9–5
Winner 2. 1998 Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...

 Scotland 10–9
Runner-up 1. 1998 German Masters  England 4–6
Runner-up 2. 1999 Champions Cup
Champions Cup (snooker)
The Champions Cup was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in England that ran for eight seasons starting in the 1994/1995 season and was originally known as the Charity Challenge.-History:...

 Scotland 5–7
Runner-up 3. 2000 Champions Cup
Champions Cup (snooker)
The Champions Cup was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in England that ran for eight seasons starting in the 1994/1995 season and was originally known as the Charity Challenge.-History:...

 (2)
 England 5–7
Runner-up 4. 2000 Premier League Snooker  Scotland 5–9
Runner-up 5. 2001 Malta Grand Prix  Scotland 1–7
Runner-up 6. 2001 Champions Cup
Champions Cup (snooker)
The Champions Cup was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in England that ran for eight seasons starting in the 1994/1995 season and was originally known as the Charity Challenge.-History:...

 (3)
 Scotland 4–7
Runner-up 7. 2002 Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...

 England 9–10
Winner 3. 2003 Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...

 (2)
 Scotland 10–4
Runner-up 8. 2003
2003 Premier League Snooker
*58–69, 83–25, 24–66, 75–8, 9-, 0–98 , 72–60 , 39–80 , -, 42–61** 73–26, -, 104–32, 23–82 , 74–57, 49–57, 71–48, 59–32...

Premier League Snooker (2)  Hong Kong 5–9
Runner-up 9. 2005 Premier League Snooker (3)  England 0–6
Winner 4. 2006 Pot Black
Pot Black
Pot Black was a British series of snooker tournaments televised by BBC, that played a large part in the popularisation of the modern game, from 1969 to 1986. The event was revived in the form of several one-off tournaments throughout the 1990s and up to 2007...

 Scotland 1–0

Minor-ranking event finals: 1 (1 title)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1. 2010 Players Tour Championship – Event 1
Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 1
-Section 2:-Section 3:-Section 4:-Section 5:-Section 6:-Section 7:-Section 8:-Finals:-Century breaks:*147 Kurt Maflin*141, 129 Mark Selby*138, 118 Tony Drago*137, 129, 124, 124, 114 Stephen Maguire*136 Jordan Brown*136 Dave Harold...

 Scotland 4–0

Pro-am event finals: 1 (1 title)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1. 2010 Finnish Snooker Challenge  Finland 6–1

Team finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponents in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1. 1999 Nations Cup
Nations Cup (snooker)
The Nations Cup was an invitational snooker tournament created in 1999, and the second team tournament after the World Cup. The annual contests featured team of four players representing their country against other such teams.-History:...

 (with team Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

)
6–4
Runner-up 1. 2000 Nations Cup
Nations Cup (snooker)
The Nations Cup was an invitational snooker tournament created in 1999, and the second team tournament after the World Cup. The annual contests featured team of four players representing their country against other such teams.-History:...

 (with team Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

)
4–6

External links

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