Mark Williams 'poor from start to finish' but rues 'unlucky' turning point in Pang Junxu defeat at 2025 UK Championship
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Updated 03/12/2025 at 20:04 GMT
Mark Williams conceded he was "poor from start to finish" despite a hefty slice of misfortune in his second-round defeat to Pang Junxu at the UK Championship. A freak double pot in the eighth frame proved a crucial turning point, as the Chinese potter sealed a 6-3 win and a first-ever UK Championship quarter-final appearance in sumptuous style. Pang will face Neil Robertson in the last eight.
'Criminally unlucky' Williams pots pink and red in huge turning point against Pang
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mark Williams lamented his own performance after Pang Junxu stunned the Welshman to reach his first-ever UK Championship quarter-final.
While Williams was left to rue a "criminally unlucky" double pot in the eighth frame, Pang wrapped up the "performance of his career" with a stunning match-high break of 116 to seal the second-round contest 6-3.
Pang's display had Alan McManus and Williams himself purring as he made the last-eight of the Triple Crown event for the first time in six attempts.
And Williams had no gripes with the result, calling his showing "poor from start to finish".
"I thought I was just poor from start to finish. I know I had two century breaks, but after that I wasn't very good at all," he said.
"I mean, I don't think I potted a ball past six-foot long. Just not good enough.
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Watch frustrated Williams pretend to launch cue 'javelin-style' into crowd AGAIN
Video credit: TNT Sports
"But I was a little bit unlucky - I could have gone 4-4. I potted the pink and somehow cut the red into the middle pocket, I don't know how.
"But even in the last frame, I had a shot off the break where most of the top pros, they bury them. I'm lucky to get one in eight or nine of them, and that's the difference really. To compete and do any good in this tournament, you've got to pot them, and I just can't pot them.
"He was definitely the better player. But if I didn't pot that red in the middle, it could have gone 4-4, you never know. But no, he deserved to win."
The crucial slice of misfortune arrived at the start of the eighth frame, with Pang 4-3 up and Williams sizing up a favourable spread of reds.
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But a cannon off a potted pink saw a red cut towards middle, where it hovered for a second before clunking into the pocket.
"Oh it's gone in! Oh my goodness. Well, that is criminally unlucky because he's played a great shot and the red, it stayed on the jaws for an eternity it seemed, and just dropped into the pocket. What a turnaround that could be," said Neal Foulds on TNT Sports commentary.
"If you tried to pot that red, you'd be there all day," added Phil Studd.
Pang took full advantage, with a break of 53 helping him towards the finish line, which he crossed in style, sinking a sumptuous century - his first of the match - to set up a quarter-final clash with Neil Robertson.
'Performance of his career'
Pang has only faced Robertson four times in his professional career, but the 25-year-old has two wins to his name, both by a 5-4 scoreline.
While the Australian won their most recent contest, at the 2025 Shanghai Masters in July, TNT Sports expert McManus believes the Chinese potter has nothing to fear in the last eight.
"Against Neil Robertson he'll hold no fears. He's beaten him twice in the last three encounters. He'll be really fancying it on the back of that, probably the performance of his career, given the stage, the quality of the opponent, the occasion," said McManus.
"Wu Yize's been stealing all the headlines, as has obviously [Zhao] Xintong and a few others. He's been just sitting in the background, ready to pounce, and he showed that today, brilliant."
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'Nerves of steel' - Pang polishes off Williams with 'immaculate' century
Video credit: TNT Sports
And though McManus had reservations about Pang's cue action, the 54-year-old believes he has the potential to become "the Chinese equivalent of Barry Hawkins".
"Perhaps he could be the Chinese equivalent of Barry Hawkins. He'd be going well to do that, always getting to last 16s, quarter-finals, all that. He's that kind of player.
"The only problem he's got is consistency with his action. It's not a designer cue action that he has, right? So it's difficult to get consistency of top-level performance, like that was today.
"But no doubt he's got it. When he's good, he's awesome."
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the UK Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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