Mark Williams blows away ‘fourth son’ Jackson Page to reach last eight with session to spare at World Championship

Updated 22/04/2022 at 12:20 GMT

Mark Williams is making snooker look very easy right now. The Welshman produced another scintillating session to blow away his “fourth son” Jackson Page and set up a quarter-final meeting with either Mark Selby or Yan Bingtao. Williams became just the second player to make six centuries at the Crucible in a best-of-25 match and will take some stopping on this form.

'Now he relishes making them!' - Williams hits brilliant century against Page

Mark Williams blew away Jackson Page to reach the World Championship quarter-finals with a session to spare.

The Welshman has been in blistering form so far at the Crucible and delivered another statement display to seal a 13-3 win over a man he considers a “fourth son”.

After bulldozing his way to a 7-1 lead in the first session on Thursday, the three-time world champion continued his searing form with an immediate break of 110.

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Jackson responded with a knock of 69 in the 10th frame – in normal circumstances enough to pinch a frame – but it was not enough to quell Williams, who managed to sneak it by a point to nudge further in front.

Any hopes of a fightback were now firmly extinguished and two breaks of 65 in the next saw Williams’ lead grow to nine and although Jackson belatedly got on the scoreboard again, the players headed to the interval in the knowledge Friday evening’s concluding session might not be required.

Williams, now leading 10-2, had to win three of the remaining four frames to check-out early and duly set about his quest for a night off with knocks of 117 and 127 to take the next two frames.

Jackson, to his credit, posted a timely 63 break to add a glimmer of respectability to the score – but it only delayed the inevitable.

Williams posted his 14th half-century break of the match to assert himself as the form player ahead of the tournament’s business end.

On this evidence, Williams – who dispatched compatriot Michael White 10-3 in his opener after winning the first seven frames – will take some stopping. He has already made 10 century breaks across his two matches and has looked far and away the best player in Sheffield so far.

He will face defending champion Mark Selby or Yan Bingtao in the last eight.