Mark Williams, a three-time Snooker World Champion, is on a remarkable journey to potentially become the oldest winner of the sport's most prestigious title. At 50, Williams credits his recent success to the motivational power of music, particularly songs by fellow Welshman, Tom Jones.

After a nail-biting 13-12 victory over John Higgins in the quarter-finals, Williams revealed that listening to Jones' hits like 'Delilah' and 'A boy from nowhere' helped him maintain focus and energy. "I just kept playing Tom Jones 'Delilah' and 'A boy from nowhere' over and over this morning as I was getting ready because I'm knackered, I've got to be honest," Williams explained in his post-match interview.

Williams' manager, Lee Walker, also a former snooker player, shared insights into the close friendship between Williams and Jones. "Many years ago we went to holiday in Las Vegas and Mark was trying to get tickets and went to see Tom and basically they've been friends ever since," Walker recounted.

As Williams prepares to face world number one Judd Trump in the semi-finals, the question on everyone's mind is whether the veteran can clinch the title once more. Walker remains optimistic, "Yeah, 100% he has a chance. Judd Trump is number one player in the world, he's probably playing the best snooker of anyone in the tournament so it's going to be incredibly difficult, but over the last few times they've played, all their matches, whether Mark has won or whether Judd has won, they've always been very close affairs."

With the semi-finals set to commence, the snooker world watches eagerly to see if Williams can defy age and fatigue to lift the trophy again, 25 years after his first world title.