The 36-year-old was the underdog with the bookmakers against Pang in Leicester on Tuesday but made a mockery of the odds as he knocked in breaks of 134, 77 and 51 to whitewash the young Chinese star.
That was Williams’ eighth game of the new campaign so far and he has lost just once, with no shame in a defeat to three-time world champion Mark Williams at the Championship League.
He was delighted with another fine performance this week, and felt it coming, proving that he has built confidence over the last few weeks.
‘I was made up with today because obviously Pang is a brilliant player, so it’s a nice way to kick on with the season,’ Williams told Metro.co.uk after the 4-0 win.
‘I think I’ve only lost to him once, the first time I played him and I thought he was absolutely amazing. Since then I seem to have worked him out a little bit, so it’s all good.
‘For some reason I just fancied winning it. I was sat in bed last night thinking, you know what I’m going to win this. You just get feelings like that with certain players, I don’t know why.’
The world number 47 took less of a break over the summer than he normally does, helping a number of players prepare for Q School, which he feels has helped him kick off the campaign in style.
There have been a couple of other changes he has made as well, getting fitter and making himself feel a bit more comfortable at the table.
‘I cycle to practice every day now, it’s a little thing, but that’s been good,’ Williams explained.
‘Also, for eight or nine months I had a problem with my waistcoat, it’s too tight and I’ve been uncomfortable during matches. It’s only recently I’ve got it altered and got a new pair of trousers, maybe I was enjoying myself over the break a bit much!
‘I was playing John Astley a couple of weeks ago and I sat down and one of my buttons on the waistcoat popped off. I was thinking, this is embarrassing! So that made me get things sorted. It was my fault, I should have done it sooner.’
Williams has now been on the professional tour for 11 years, an impressive achievement in itself, but he wants to continue his progress towards the elite of the sport, currently at his best ever position in the world rankings.
‘I’ve not come off tour since first getting on, which is not what I expected when I first got on,’ he said. ‘It’s something I’m very proud of.
‘The top boys get all the acclaim and that’s absolutely fair enough, they’re on a different level, but I’ve got things to be proud of.
‘I think when I turned pro I didn’t feel ready. My first match was against Thepchaiya [Un-Nooh] which was a baptism of fire, I thought, “oh my god, if this is the standard I’ll be soon off again.” But you naturally grow into it and you feel like you belong there with every season that goes by.
‘There’s still nerve-racking situations though. The Crucible, the Shoot Out, it can be stomach-churning sometimes.’
A run to the British Open semi-finals last year was the highlight of last season but Williams feels he can step up another level from there.
‘I think so yeah. I feel a lot more confident as a player and as a person,’ he said. ‘I think getting to a couple of semis here and there has put me in good stead.’
Williams is back in action at the European Masters next week in Nuremberg, once again taking on Pang, this time in the last 64 in Germany.
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