Mark Allen's eight-word message to Mark Williams speaks volumes about snooker star

Mark Williams has been lauded by after clinching his first Champion of Champions title.

Just five months shy of his 50th birthday, the Welsh wizard demonstrated he's as he triumphed over Xiao Guodong in Bolton, pocketing a cool £150,000 prize.

Williams, evergreen on the green baize, stormed into a 5-0 lead in the initial session but saw his lead reduced to 5-4 as his Chinese opponent rallied. However, claimed five of the next seven frames to secure a 10-6 victory and lift the trophy for the first time in .

Post-match, Williams was showered with accolades from the snooker fraternity, including World No. 3 Allen, who had been ousted from the tournament by Xiao.

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Reacting to the final on X, Allen posted: "Ridiculous again from Mark Williams to be still be one of the very best in the game at his age is not normal. One of the all-time greats for sure. Enjoy your victory kebab"

In response to the post, Williams replied: "ty (Thank you) Pistol." After defeating Xiao with breaks of 80, 91, 95 and 104 in the final, the Welshman confessed that he's not contemplating hanging up his cue just yet, reports .

"I'm not going to retire. I'm enjoying it," he stated. "What a feeling. I can't really believe it. I'm going to keep playing until I fall off the tour. Whenever that is.

"Winning is obviously good. I don't worry about it if I lose. Just try your best, that's all you can do. The older I'm getting, the more support I'm getting. Perhaps they always support the underdog.

"It's a nice feeling, and I think that is helping me play better, too, when you have most of the crowd cheering for you. I really like my new cue.

"I was getting slated for changing cues. It's starting to come good now, and the new cue is the best thing I've ever had in my hands."

After defeating the reigning champion Kyren Wilson and the on-form Neil Robertson on his way to scooping the title, Williams marked another achievement during a season which has also taken him to the Saudi Arabia Masters final. Despite losing narrowly by 10-9 to Judd Trump there, he still pocketed £200,000.