Mark Williams wins Xi'an Grand Prix to become oldest ever ranking event winner at the age of 50

At the age of 50 years and 206 days, Williams eclipses the record held by fellow Welshman Ray Reardon, who was 50 years and 14 days old when he won the Professional Players Tournament in 1982.

Perhaps even more impressive than that, Williams also becomes the first player in snooker history to win a Tour event in his teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.

Victory is Williams' 27th career ranking title and that lifts him into sixth on the all time list behind Ronnie O'Sullivan (41), Stephen Hendry (36), John Higgins (33), Judd Trump (30) and Steve Davis (28).

'I don't know how I'm doing it'

"I played really well from the first frame to the last," said Williams, who won his first ranking title at the 1996 Welsh Open.

"I don't think I missed more than a couple of easy balls all day. I put pressure on Shaun and he missed a couple of times from 50 in front, I made some good clearances and kept the pressure on. I think I made more frame-winning breaks today than I did in the whole tournament ;

"I try my absolute hardest when I'm out there, trying to win every game. Of course I care, I want to win. But if I lose I don't care, there's no moaning or dwelling on it. If you beat yourself up when you lose, then you will struggle in this game. If more players took the same attitude they might see a bit of improvement.

"It's amazing that I am still winning tournaments, I don't know how I'm doing it because I am not practising enough to really compete in the later stages of tournaments. I try to play as much as I can while I'm at venues. And you have to scrape me off the table until the last ball is potted.

"Somehow the three of us in the Class of '92 are still going."