Mark Williams Breaks 43-year Snooker Record in Win over Shaun Murphy

Mark Williams has broken a historic snooker record that has stood for 43 years after his convincing victory over Shaun Murphy.

The Welsh veteran claimed the 27th world ranking event title of his career with a 10-3 win over Murphy in the Xi'an Grand Prix.

That triumph demonstrated why Williams is regarded as one of the best snooker players of his generation, that has won three world titles. Williams is also one of a select group to have completed the Triple Crown of the K Championship, the Masters and the World Championship in the same season.

And now he has added another achievement to that impressive legacy.

Mark Williams. Image: Tai Chengzhe / Contributor via Getty

By lifting the Xi'an Grand Prix trophy, Williams became the oldest winner of a ranking event, celebrating victory at 50 years and 206 days.

He overtook fellow Welshman Ray Reardon, who was 50 years and 14 days when he won the Professional Players Tournament in 1982.

The victory also brings Williams closer to climbing the list of all-time ranking event winners. His 27th title means he is just one behind Steve Davis, who sits fifth on the all-time list.

But he remains 14 behind the legendary Ronnie O'Sullivan who leads the way with 41 ranking titles.

Williams's success in China was another reminder of his remarkable longevity. He is now the first player to win a tour event as a teenager, in his 20s, 30s, 40s and now in his 50s.

The win also provided in a boost in the world rankings, with Williams moving above O'Sullivan into fourth place.

He also walked with a sizeable pay cheque, pocketing £177,000 for his efforts.

It was a disappointing performance in the final from Murphy, who made just two breaks of more than 50 during the whole game.

Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy. Image: Tai Chengzhe / Contributor via Getty

But that does not take away from an outstanding Williams performance, as he produced two centuries during a clinical performance.

Ahead of the final, Williams had played down the significance of taking Reardon's record as the oldest player to win a ranking title.

He said: “Being the oldest? That’s not really a record, is it?

“If I did manage to win it, Ronnie O’Sullivan or John Higgins will probably beat it in a few months’ time anyway.

“It’s nice to be in the final, and if I can win a tournament, it’d be great. It’s great that I’m still somehow doing it.

“If you’d given me the quarters before I came out, I’d have bitten your hand off. If you had given me the final, I’d have bitten your whole body off."