Mark Williams opens up on ‘blind’ shots after easing past Shaun Murphy in Jeddah

Mark Williams explained the logic behind playing “blind” shots after brushing aside Shaun Murphy 6-1 at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.

Williams pulled off several outstanding pots after closing his eyes before making contact with the cue ball in Jeddah.

“Everything’s a blur and I do it to see how well I am cueing,” three-time world champions Williams told TNT Sports after ending a four-game losing streak against Murphy.

“I’ve got to do all my alignments stood up because when I am down there it’s a guess.

“When I’m doing the shots shutting my eyes it just confirms to me that I’m in the right line really.

“If it misses to the left or right I know which part of the ball I’ve hit.”

Scrappy

Williams, beaten in the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters final last year by Judd Trump, made breaks of 69, 74 and 62 to take a 4-1 lead.

The Welshman extended his advantage by winning a scrappy sixth frame on the black before finishing with a match-clinching 102 – his 670th career century.

Williams will play Elliot Slessor in the quarter-finals following his 6-5 victory over fellow Englishman Stuart Bingham.

Slessor made five 50-plus breaks and won the final two frames to progress, his 72 in the last proving decisive.

Mark Selby became the fifth player to reach 900 career centuries despite a 6-4 defeat to Neil Robertson in their last-16 clash.

Elite club

Four-time world champion Selby joined an elite club including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Trump, John Higgins and Robertson with 119 in the second frame.

The Australian produced two century breaks of his own – 111, and 137 in the last frame – to recover from a 4-3 deficit.

Ali Carter rattled off five successive frames to overcome Oliver Lines 6-3 and will play Robertson next.