‘I’m over the moon’ – Mark Williams turns on style to reach Championship League snooker last 32

Mark Williams produced some vintage form to reach the last-32 group stage of the Championship League with maximum points in Leicester.

The three-time world champion began the new season in glorious form as he topped Group 5 with wins against Rory McLeod (3-1), Andrew Pagett (3-1) and Li Hang (3-1) at the Morningside Arena.

Williams made breaks of 65 and 75 in wins against McLeod and Pagett, but saved his best until last after watching world No. 48 Li take the opening frame with a classy 77 to apply the pressure in the summer heat.

The third frame came down to the final two balls with both men making 50-plus breaks, but Li missed a pink as Williams slotted pink and black for a 2-1 lead.

A rousing closing break of 140 sealed his progress in style at the season’s first ranking event.

“It was a tricky pink that I had in the middle.

Gary Wilson – who lost 6-4 to Williams in last season’s British Open final – was the winner of Group 28 as he finished with a 115 break in a 3-0 win against Jak Jones, who was forced to settle for second place three points behind the 2019 world semi-finalist.

Wilson began his day with a run of 96 in a 3-0 victory against Harvey Chandler before drawing 2-2 with Barry Pinches.

Latest Championship League group winners

• Group 24: Robert Milkins (Eng)
• Group 13: Aaron Hill (Ire)
• Group 4: Zhao Xintong (Chn)
• Group 31: Anthony Hamilton (Eng)
• Group 6: Michael Judge (Ire)
• Group 26: Chris Wakelin (Eng)
• Group 10: Luca Brecel (Bel)
• Group 29: Lu Ning (Chn)
• Group 1: Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng)
• Group 27: Jamie Jones (Wal)
• Group 15: Ricky Walden (Eng)
• Group 32: Xiao Guodong (Chn)
• Group 9: Yuan Sijun (Chn)
• Group 30: Lyu Haotian (Chn)
• Group 3: Ben Woollaston (Eng)
• Group 23: Elliot Slessor (Eng)
• Group 5: Mark Williams (Wal)
• Group 28: Gary Wilson (Eng)