British Open – Mark Williams shows his class to see off Jimmy Robertson, sets up Gary Wilson showdown in final

ByEurosport

Updated 22/08/2021 at 01:51 GMT

“Much better,” said a relieved Williams after the match. “I done a great dish to go 3-1 up and that probably killed the match off. That is probably one of the best dishes I have put together in a while.” The 46-year-old will face Gary Wilson in the final, who overcame close friend Elliot Slessor in a high quality encounter.

Mark Williams showed his class to beat Jimmy Robertson 4-1 in their British Open semi-final to set up a final showdown with Gary Wilson on Sunday at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.

The win sees Williams, 46, chase a 24th ranking title in a 37th final after a semi-final performance that represented a marked improvement on earlier offerings this week.

Williams failed to record a break in excess of 50 in his quarter-final success against Ricky Walden but produced runs of 60, 73 and 58 to seal his progression to Sunday’s showpiece.

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The three-time world champion said he couldn’t “pot three balls on the bounce” after the last-eight slog against Walden, but produced a vintage, decisive clearance in frame four to take control of the encounter.

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And, while Robertson saw some table time in the fifth, a lack of cue ball control cost him, and Williams pounced to progress.

“Much better,” said a relieved Williams after the match. “I done a great dish to go 3-1 up and that probably killed the match off."

That is probably one of the best dishes I have put together in a while.

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Waiting for Williams in the final will be Gary Wilson, who beat close friend Elliot Slessor 4-3 in a high-quality affair.

Slessor, who ousted Judd Trump and Ali Carter in the third and fourth rounds, won a scrappy first frame before pouncing on a missed black from Wilson in frame two to compile a 73 to open up a two-frame advantage.

However, Wilson put himself within one frame of the final after breaks of 67, 68 and 100 only to see Gateshead cueist Slessor hit back with a 125 to send it to a decider. The Tyneside Terror Wilson produced his fourth 50+ break of the match – this time a 54 – to confirm his second appearance, after the 2015 China Open, in a ranking final.

“We were both trying so hard,” he said to ITV Sport after.

It means that much to try and win this tournament; we’re both vying for our first title. It’s not the best situation playing pretty much your best mate on tour.

“We’re both quite like-minded; we both go out there and just try our best. It’s just a shame there had to be a loser.”

The best-of-11 final begins at 19:30 on Sunday.

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