Mark Williams was trailing 3-1 in the World Snooker Championship final to Zhao Xintong when he faced a pivotal moment after snookering himself, adding a touch of humour to the tense situation
Dennis Taylor was quick to react as Mark Williams sarcastically toyed with referee Desislava Bozhilova during the final of the World Snooker Championship. Down 3-1 against Zhao Xintong, Williams found himself in a tough spot in the fifth frame when he self-snookered.
The Welshman managed a fantastic long red into the bottom-right corner that wowed the Crucible crowd during a rocky start. But then, things took a tense turn as he accidentally nudged the black ball amongst a cluster of reds, leaving him without a clear shot for his next move.
Following his brilliant pot, Williams unfortunately saw the cue ball end up on the wrong side of the pack from the red he potted, forcing him to play back through the reds. Bent over the table, he sarcastically told the referee he was targeting the yellow ball off the bottom cushion instead of nudging the black safely back into the bulk.
But Bozhilova misunderstood his call, taking his word for gospel and announcing that colour. Quick to point out his jest, Williams’ then repeatedly said: “Black ball.” That prompted laughter from the spectators.
Bozhilova corrected herself and designated the black as his chosen ball, which Williams then successfully played to safety. As he walked back to his seat, the audience could see the referee’s relieved smile.
Williams’ timely intervention avoided what could have been a significant mishap. And Taylor was quick to point out Williams’ jest in hilarious fashion, reports the Express.
“Behave yourself, Mark,” he was picked up on commentary saying with a chuckle. The Bulgarian official has made history as only the second female to helm the iconic Sheffield finale.
Impressively, she’s the first woman to officiate the final of each Triple Crown event – now including her UK Championship and Masters finals achievements. Already having a World Championship semi-final under her belt, she’s regarded as one of snooker’s elite referees.
She’s now got a 13-year tenure on the World Snooker Tour. Speaking about following Michaela Tabb’s lead from 2009 and 2012, she said: “I am really excited, it was an amazing feeling when I was given the news.
“It is what I have worked towards for many years, it has been my dream. It will be different to any other final because of the atmosphere at the Crucible.
“Since I started working in snooker, I have learned everything from the more experienced referees. They give advice and tell us how to improve.
“There is a lot of teamwork, and we support each other.” As for the match, it wasn’t Williams’ day as he missed his chance in the fifth frame, allowing Xintong to bolster his lead in what is the first-ever all left-handed snooker players’ final.
The Chinese star leads 11-6 as the second day of the World Snooker Championship final resumes on Monday. He’s aiming to become the first ever amateur to win the crown following his 20-month ban for his role in the match fixing scandal.