Williams has €210,000 reasons to succeed
His rivals may dream about lifting the gold trophy, but money is Williams' motivation. When he meets Paul Hunter in the opening semi-final today, though, the Welsh star will also have another driving force.
Hunter recovered from 5-0 down to beat Williams 10-9 in the 2002 final, although that represents a rare success for the Yorkshireman in matches between the pair.
"It would be nice to get my own back on Paul," agrees UK champion Williams, easily the most consistent performer on the circuit this season.
" But I have got a good record against Paul," he added after a superb 6-3 victory over John Higgins yesterday.
"I don't think that counts for much but I'm sure he will be thinking more about it than me. I said after beating him in the Welsh Open at Cardiff last month that he and I are playing the best snooker in the game right now".
Williams is now guaranteed £50,000 after a victory that contained the 150th and 151st century breaks of his career. "I was pleased how I finished off with a century in the last frame," said the provisional world number one who also knocked in breaks of 45, 54, 103, and 45 after Higgins had taken the first frame.
Williams has become a formidable opponent for all the game's leading stars since taking advice from 1979 world champion Terry Griffiths. He said: "I've no problems getting up for matches now thanks to Terry. What he's said to me is private.
"But it's along the lines that these players are out to send me back home if I don't send them packing first". Higgins could do worse than seek some outside guidance. The former world champion and world number one is a shadow of the player that captured four major titles last season.
"I'm struggling for confidence," he agreed. Higgins reduced his arrears to 5-3 with back-to-back breaks of 101 and 117. But it was too little too late, and Williams had pound note signs in his eyes as he polished off the match with exactly 100.
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