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| Dates: February 15-21 Venue of events: Celtic Manor Resort, Newport |
| Coverage: Watch it live on BBC Two Wales, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app. Featured on BBC Two Wales, online and BBC Red Button. |
Mark Williams admits that he enjoys the opportunity to face Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-final of the Welsh Open.
Williams defeated Tom Ford 5-4 in the quarterfinals, while O’Sullivan received a goodbye when Ali Carter retired for health reasons.
“If you don’t expect games like that, you shouldn’t be in the game,” Williams said.
Jordan Brown and Stephen Maguire from Northern Ireland will meet in the other semi-final.
Williams and O’Sullivan have won nine world championship titles between them.
“I’ve been fighting Ronnie since he was probably 12 or 13,” Williams said.
“We have been playing together in juniors before players like John Higgins came along.
“I’ll be 46 next month and he’s 45 and we’re still hooked. It’s really amazing.”
O’Sullivan beat Williams 13-10 in last year’s World Championship quarterfinals after Williams won 7-2 and 8-4.
Williams has lost 11 of his last 12 matches against O’Sullivan in qualifying tournaments and only won in those 12 matches at the International Championship in China in 2014.
However, Williams beat O’Sullivan the last time they met in the Championship League on February 11.
“I totally destroyed it,” Williams joked, “It was only the best of five, but a win is a win.”
“Obviously I would love to win, but the occasion, who could have thought of 25, 26 years as a professional, would be playing him in a semi-final of a qualifying tournament.
“It’s crazy, but something I’m looking forward to doing.”
Carter had to retire earlier due to illness. In a statement, the World Snooker Tour said: “Abstinence is not related to Covid-19 symptoms and we wish Ali all the best for a speedy recovery.”
In the other half of the draw, Maguire, the 2013 Welsh Open winner, beat defending champion Shaun Murphy 5-4.
Maguire will face Northern Ireland’s Brown, who has reached his first semi-final in a qualifying event.
Brown defeated 2008 Welsh Open champion Mark Selby 5-4 with the game going to the black ball in the deciding frame.
Day six program
Semifinals
Stephen Maguire (Sco) v Jordan Brown (NIre) (1300 GMT)
Mark Williams (Wal) vs. Ronnie O’Sullivan (English) (1900 GMT)
Results of the fifth day
Quarter finals
Shaun Murphy (Eng) 4-5 Stephen Maguire (Sco)
Mark Selby (English) 4-5 Jordan Brown (NIre)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (English) without Ali Carter (English)
Mark Williams (Wal) 5-4 Tom Ford (English)
