Doherty needs another miracle recovery to halt super Williams
Williams had begun the second session 14-1 on to collect his second world crown after establishing a 7-1 advantage over the 1997 champion.
And the Welshman added three of the first four frames before the mid-session interval with the aid of two sparkling centuries.
Doherty gave himself a glimmer of a hope by taking the first frame of the evening with the aid of a run of 47 to the final blue.
But it was a false dawn for the 33-year-old who went into the final having figured in 98 frames during the competition compared to the 72 of Williams.
Doherty paid the penalty for missing a long red in the next and he had to stay in his chair as Williams put together a 118 clearance to the black.
Breaks of 40 and 31 were sufficient to give Williams the next and then a 101 in frame 12 left him in total command at the interval.
The first session had mirrored Williams' semi-final clash with Stephen Lee which also ended with a 7-1 scoreline and an eventual 17-8 success.
Doherty may be made of sterner stuff but Williams is unlikely to lose his nerve and composure in the same way as Hunter.
Williams is now firmly on course to emulate Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry in being the third player to complete snooker's triple crown of the UK Championship, Masters and world titles in the same season.
Doherty was among the balls in the first frame of the final with a 37 and there was then a period of scrappy play which ended when Williams fluked a red to set him on his way to a run of 42 to the final black.
The next was also nip and tuck before Williams produced a splendid long pot on the penultimate red into the left black pocket and a 23 left Doherty needing snookers.
Doherty opened his account in the third with an assured break of 76 but it was Williams who re-established a two frame advantage before the break.
He opened up with a 38 and, although Doherty responded with 29, a poor safety shot allowed his Welsh opponent back in to clear enough balls to make the frame safe.
Both players missed reasonable opportunities in the fifth before a clearance of 62 from Williams put him 4-1 ahead and then a 52 was the key contribution in the next.
Williams run of 35 put him in the driving seat in frame seven and then he sank a long penultimate red to create an opportunity to leave Doherty needing snookers.
Doherty needed to respond and put together a 56 bu the on-song Williams made it five frames in a row with a clearance of 75.
Doherty earlier admitted that the never-say-die attitude of Manchester United this season helped him to believe that he could rescue his semi-final with Paul Hunter as he clinched a heart-stopping 17-16 victory.
Red Devils nut Doherty noted the way that Alex Ferguson's side have stormed back this season after being written off to be favourites to win the Premiership.
And it was a similar scenario as he turned around a 15-9 deficit going into the final session by winning eight of the remaining nine frames.
Doherty said: "It's one of the best feelings over. I wouldn't say it was the best. It's only the best if you end up winning. But it was certainly the best comeback I've ever made.
"It was incredible because he was playing so well over the last three sessions. I had to win eight of the last nine frames and it was really tough.
"I just sort of tried to chip away and give myself a chance. As long as I kept him on the 15 frame mark I believed that I still had a glimmer.
"Once he got to 16 I was at least in reaching distance at three frames left. It just worked out for me. The tide was flowing his way for three seasons and today because I kept banging on the door it just eventually opened for me.
"The tide turned my way and everything went my way in the last couple of frames. There is incredible pressure out there. You can miss any shot and that's what makes the World Championships so different to any other tournament.
"You have to keep believing you have a chance. I've been seeing a sports psychologist called Lee Morgan since November and he has helped me to believe and to keep a positive frame of mind and keep dreaming that you can do it.
"If you keep dreaming, those dreams can become a reality. I dreamt that I could come back and believed I could. As soon as you stop believing you've got no chance. I've got a lot of positive people around me.
"Manchester United have shown that this year, that you never give in. It's been exactly the same sort of situation. You never give up."
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
