God. The absolute gut-punch of watching Mark Williams essentially throw in the towel while the World Snooker Championship final is still technically ongoing. I've been following the Crucible drama for years, and this one just hits different.

Williams took to Twitter during the mid-session break when he was staring down the barrel at 17-8 down to Zhao Xintong. The three-time champ basically waved teh white flag with hours still left to play.

What the hell happened out there?

The afternoon session was brutal. Absolutely brutal. Williams looked completely outgunned against the Chinese sensation who's been playing like a man possessed throughout this tournament. Williams' tweet said it all: "Oh well, that was tough, I have not got enough cue power to combat tough conditions like Zhao. His cue power is superb. Probably the best potter I have ever seen."

When a three-time world champion calls someone "the best potter I've ever seen," you know we're witnessing something special.

I remember watching Williams back in 2018 when he won his third title and promised to do his press conference naked if he won (which he basically did, showing up in just a towel). Now here he is, essentially conceding before the final session has even begun.

Fans desperately trying to keep hope alive

Williams' supporters immediately flooded his mentions with encouragement. One wrote: "We're all with you Mark. If anyone can pull it back, you can." Another fan practically begged: "He hasn't won it yet. Stop talking like you've lost and go and make history this evening. You are inadvertently admitting defeat, and that's not how you roll."

I spent about 45 minutes scrolling through the responses. They ranged from heartfelt to desperate.

Williams did acknowledge the support in a follow-up tweet: "Last session in a few hours. Support I have had this last two weeks has been amazing from the crowd and everyone." And when asked if he was proud of his run, he replied "absolutely."

The Xintong redemption story nobody saw coming

Meanwhile, Zhao Xintong sits just one frame away from making history as the first Chinese player ever to win the World Championship. And let's talk about THAT comeback story...

This guy was BANNED for 20 months in a match-fixing scandal!

Now, to be clear, Xintong didn't actually fix matches himself. He pleaded guilty to betting on matches and knowing another player was fixing games. Still cost him his pro status though.

The road back? Brutal. Xintong had to grind through the amateur circuit, winning four Q Tour events in a row just to earn a qualifying spot for this year's championship. Then he battled through FOUR qualifying rounds before taking down big names like Jak Jones, Chris Wakelin, and even the rocket himself, Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Is this the most shocking Crucible collapse we've seen?

I texted my old snooker buddy (who once spent $200 on a "professional" cue and still couldn't pot a red) during the afternoon session. His response: "Williams looks like he aged 10 years since yesterday."

Look, comebacks from 17-8 down just don't happen. Williams knows it. The crowd knows it. Everyone watching at home knows it.

But there's something deeply uncomfortable about seeing a champion of Williams' stature publicly throwing in the towel before the match is officially over. It's... not what we expect from these titans of the baize.

The aftermath

Unless Williams pulls off the most miraculous comeback in snooker history (spoiler: he won't), we're about to crown a champion with one of the most complicated backstories ever.

From banned to brilliant in the space of a year.

And poor Williams... after everything he's given to this sport, it feels wrong to see him go out like this. But that's sports, isn't it? Unforgiving and occasionally cruel.

The evening session awaits. History will be made one way or another.