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WILLIAMS HOLDS ON TO BEAT GILBERT

Mark Williams was far from his best but held off a fight-back from David Gilbert to go through to the second round of the UK Championship.

Gilbert began the more fluently and could easily have won the first three frames, with Williams stealing the second to stay in the match at this point, before his opponent secured his first century in the third.

Williams made half-centuries in the next three frames and a scrappy seventh put him on the brink of victory.

Inexplicable Williams misses gave Gilbert opportunities in the next two frames and he responded with breaks of 100 and 50 to bring him within one.

Watch: ‘Very angry’ Williams SLAMS cue into floor and threatens to throw it into crowd

Video credit: TNT Sports

In a tense last frame, both players had opportunities but made errors and Williams got over the finishing line.