Mark Williams and Ali Carter will contest the 2026 English Open closing on the Brentwood Centre on Sunday.
The pair emerged from contrasting semi-final encounters on the penultimate day to maintain their aspirations of elevating the Steve Davis Trophy aloft.
Carter first reached the title-deciding showdown with a robust show to beat Ding Junhui 6-2 – the Captain making breaks of 119, 90, 77, 76, and 74.
Later, Williams produced a exceptional comeback from 5-1 behind to stun Shaun Murphy in a deciding-frame success.
Aged 51, the Welshman stays heading in the right direction to interrupt his personal document because the oldest rating occasion winner within the sport’s historical past.
Williams was aged 50 years and 206 days when he memorably claimed the Xi’an Grand Prix in October, 2025, however he may add virtually a full yr to the goal he set with a twenty eighth profession rating glory on Sunday.
The three-time world champion’s kind has been inconsistent during the last couple of years.
However in distinction to his Class of ’92 friends Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins, Williams doesn’t actually let the dangerous days trouble him.
That type of nonchalant angle makes these seemingly random visits to the enterprise finish of huge tournaments much less shocking, and it additionally substantiates claims that Williams will outlast each O’Sullivan and Higgins as a main-tour competitor.
The present world quantity 9 is chasing a primary House Nations Sequence occasion for the reason that Northern Eire Open approach again in 2017.
Carter, in the meantime, is hoping to win a match on the sequence for the primary time in his profession.
The 47 year-old’s maiden rating success did materialise on the Welsh Open in 2009, however that was seven years earlier than the House Nations Sequence was fashioned.
Like Williams, Carter’s consistency just isn’t what it as soon as was, however he proved towards Ding particularly that he can nonetheless produce the products on his day.
The previous world quantity two had dropped right down to 25 within the newest rankings replace, however the positions round that part of the checklist are so cramped that he’s already provisionally again as much as quantity 17 via reaching the ultimate.
Ought to he declare a seventh rating title and gather the £100,000 prime prize, Carter would rejoin the highest 16.
That will be particularly good timing contemplating an computerized spot on the UK Championship and invites to the Masters usually are not lengthy from being determined.
In fact, that gained’t be the first goal with silverware up for grabs on Sunday.
Williams and Carter share an excellent head-to-head document from their battles in all competitions, with the previous successful 20 to the challenger’s 19.
Carter, who will probably start the affair because the underdog though he arguably performed a lot better within the semi-finals, has really overwhelmed Williams the final 3 times they’ve performed.
This may signify their first rating occasion closing towards each other, however with a mixed age of virtually 100, there might be no scarcity of expertise on present.
The 2026 English Open closing takes place over 17 frames with periods commencing at 13:00 and 19:00 BST.
Featured photograph credit score: WST
