Snooker: O'Brien loses out to Williams
Sunday, 25 February 2001 15:13Mark Williams overcame a crisis of confidence to clinch a Rothmans Malta Grand Prix final showdown with Stephen Hendry in Valetta. The world champion and number one overcame stubborn Dubliner Fergal O'Brien 6-4 after trailing the Benson & Hedges Masters runner-up 4-1.
But it was an unhappy Welshman who admitted after the game: "I need some help. There's only one person who can help me, he knows who it is. Hopefully I'll go to see him when I get home from here."
Williams was so out of sorts that he changed his usually Rolls-Royce smooth cue action midway through the contest. "To do that is ludicrous but that shows how my head went. I was disgusted with myself but jabbing and snatching at everything seemed to work so I'll be sticking with that against Stephen."
"Fergal had me dead and buried but somehow I got away with it. It will be nice to play in a final and not get slaughtered. Just lately I've been getting into finals and getting pummelled." It will be Williams' fifth final of the campaign but he has won only one. In the UK Championship final against John Higgins and against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the China Open, Williams lost 10-4 and 9-2.
O'Brien was heading for a second successive win against Williams by taking three of the first four frames. This time he could not repeat his Masters triumph as the 25-year-old left-hander, beaten easily as well by Ken Doherty in the 2000 Malta final, somehow carved out a comeback.
O'Brien had chances to win both the eighth and ninth frames but lost them both and Williams, whose top break was just 62, took the 10th frame 58-5.
Hendry overcame fellow Scot John Higgins 6-4 to move within one win of his first title for nine months. "I'm not counting my chickens just yet but it would be a confidence boost if I could win tomorrow night," said the seven-times world champion. The TSN stable-mates face 13 frames to decide who becomes champion in succession to Doherty.
Filed by Jimmy D'Arcy
