At 50 years and 206 days old, Welsh snooker veteran Mark Williams shattered a 43-year record by clinching the Xi'an Grand Prix title 10-3 against Shaun Murphy.
After storming to a 7-1 lead in the first session of this first-to-10-frames final, Williams sealed his 27th career ranking crown in his 44th final appearance, shaking hands with Murphy and waving to the crowd at the end.
His victory, in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province on the Chinese mainland, made him the oldest player to win a ranking tournament, surpassing Ray Reardon's mark set in 1982 when that legend was 50 years and 14 days old.
Williams also became the first player in snooker history to claim ranking titles in his teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s—an unmatched five-decade achievement that underscores his enduring skill and passion for the sport.
The triumph earned Williams £177,000 and moved him up to fourth in the world rankings, leapfrogging Ronnie O'Sullivan and signaling that age is no barrier at snooker's highest level.
As the snooker world celebrates this milestone, Williams' journey reminds young global fans and aspiring champions everywhere that persistence and experience can rewrite history.
Reference(s):
Mark Williams becomes oldest winner of a snooker ranking tournament
cgtn.com
