Mark Davis pocketed a Christmas bonus of €10,000 by winning the inaugural Six Reds World Championship, in association with 888sport.com, in Killarney tonight.

Davis, the world no.47 from Sussex, defeated twice Crucible world champion Mark Williams 6-3 in the final.

And it means his six year-old son, Jack, and daughter Millie, aged two, can enjoy an extra special festive period.

“It’s good timing and the kids will be pleased because they know they’ve got a good present coming,” Davis said.

“I played well all through the tournament. I had some luck, which you need with this shorter format, but I made some good breaks in the final.

“With the standard of the players who came here it was always going to be a bit of a lottery as to who won. I’m just happy to be the last man standing.

“I enjoyed the whole week. It was a good tournament and very well run. Killarney is a lovely place and it’s fair to say I’m a big fan of six reds snooker.”

Davis, 37, had previously won two minor invitation events, the 2002 Masters qualifying event and 1996 Malta Masters. To reach the final he beat fellow main tour professionals Gerard Greene, Jamie Cope, Mark Joyce, Joe Swail and Mark King.

He twice trailed Williams by a single frame but from 2-2 was the stronger player, knocking in breaks of 71 and 65 on the way to clinching victory.

Williams edged Sheffield amateur Adam Duffy 5-4 on the black in the quarter-finals before completing a comfortable 5-1 semi-final defeat of Barry Hawkins.

“I’ve had a good week,” the Welshman said. “It was more relaxed than the ranking tournaments and Mark played very well from 2-2. He deserved to win.

“I think all the players have enjoyed this tournament. It’s something different and I’m a fan of the six red format.”

Reigning 15 red world champion John Higgins saw his bid to complete a unique double ended by a 5-1 defeat to Mark King in the quarter-finals.

Ken Doherty, beaten by Duffy in the last 32 and one of the tournament organisers, said he was pleased with the first staging of the short form World Championship.

“The feedback I’ve had from the players has been very positive and we’ll definitely be back next year,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that six reds snooker has its place and we hope to be even bigger and better in 2010.”

Mark Davis 6-3 Mark Williams

6-57(41); 36(24)-13; 9-48(48); 38(26)-0; 57(27,26)-1; 71(71)-0; 65(65)-0; 0-34; 48(45)-6