Top News

Mark Williams is refusing to undergo a vital operation so that he can chase a fourth World Snooker Championship title. The veteran Welshman has already won snooker's biggest prize on three occasions, with his last title coming in 2018. Now aged 51, another triumph at the Crucible would make him the oldest player ever to be crowned world champion.

Williams, who beat Polish debutant Antoni Kowalski in his opening match, has suffered with increasingly poor eyesight in recent years. After losing to Zhao Xintong in last year's final, he admitted that he had a "big decision to make" regarding his vision. He is planning to have lens replacement surgery in the near future, but is yet to go under the knife.

Speaking after his first-round victory on the weekend, Williams told TNT Sports: "Optical Express are ringing me every week saying I'm on the priority list and can get straight in and have them done.

"But how do I put myself under the knife, or whatever it is, when I am winning tournaments and playing OK? I will 100 per cent get it done, but I just can't bring myself to do it right now.

"I can't grumble. The way I am playing at my age at the moment, I am more than happy. I've won a ranking tournament this season and I'm in the last 16 of the Worlds. If you had said that at the start, I would have bitten your hand off."

Williams became the oldest player to win a ranking event when he triumphed at the Xi'an Grand Prix in October and is currently ranked sixth in the world.

"My game is good," he added. "The easier balls I miss, I just accept it, maybe a bit better than John [Higgins] and Ronnie [O'Sullivan]. I'm not worried about it, as I know it's coming, and I just wait for my next shot."

Despite being one of the oldest players on tour, Williams has no plans to retire and has vowed to keep going for longer than his Class of 92 rivals.

He said: "I just did an interview with Steve Davis, and he asked me: 'Which of you is going to give up first?'. I said: 'It's not me!'.

"I have already made up my mind, when I drop off the tour, I will keep playing in the amateurs, and travel around with my boy [13-year-old son Joel] if he's still playing.

"So I'm out of the equation. It's who's going to crack out of those two, because I'm staying, even if I drop off the tour. I'll be on the amateur circuit, trying to get back on. I am going to see where I am at 55, in the top 16 or wherever, and just keep on trucking."

Williams will resume his World Championship campaign against Barry Hawkins, who beat Matthew Stevens in the opening round, later this week.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page.