Mark Williams defeats Xiao Guodong to win Champion of Champions title

Mark Williams of Wales defeated Xiao Guodong of China 10-6 in the Champion of Champions final in Bolton, England on Sunday, winning the tournament for the first time in his career.

Williams found his rhythm quicker than Xiao and built an early 2-0 lead in the title match. Xiao endured an in-off and a failed safety in the second frame, before continuing to struggle against his Welsh opponent's trademark composure as the match went on.

With breaks of 91 and 77, Williams extended his advantage to 4-0, and then exploited a rare safety error from Xiao to clear the table in the fifth frame, further increasing his lead.

Xiao finally began to rally in the sixth frame with a calculated clearance, and then notched the first century of the match in the seventh, closing the gap to 5-2. He then added breaks of 76 and 117 as he moved one frame from drawing level.

Williams responded in the 10th with a 112 century break, before reeling off another stunning break of 125 and a total clearance of the table in the 13th. China's Xiao displayed great resilience as well, trimming the margin to 8-6 after 14 frames.

But Williams crafted a break of 95 in the 15th frame after a tense safety exchange, and then sealed victory in the 16th by producing another brilliant clearance, lifting the trophy in the end.

"I can't believe I am still winning tournaments at my age. Winning this event today honestly feels unbelievable," Williams said. "Props to Xiao, who has been a great player throughout this tournament and a great finalist."