Mark Williams admitted he does not know whether he has played his last World Snooker Championship match after he suffered a dramatic 10-9 defeat to Si Jiahui in the first round. The Welsh three-times champion was knocked out at the opening stage in an epic clash as Si continued his love affair with the Crucible by following up last year’s surprise run to the semi-finals. While Si will face Jak Jones in the second round, Williams confessed he did not know whether a return to the Crucible is on the cards but appeared to rule out immediate retirement.

Welsh youngster Jackson Page will face history-chasing Ronnie O’Sullivan at the start of the World Snooker Championship. The 22-year-old Page, from Ebbw Vale, will share the spotlight as the sport’s best take to the green baize at the Crucible from Saturday, with the winner crowned in Sheffield on Sunday, May 6.

Mark Williams believes he has a genuine chance of becoming world snooker champion for a fourth time after enjoying one of the best wins of his long career. Williams struggled to hold back the tears after winning a thrilling showdown against Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Tour Championship in Manchester.

Mark Williams is not expecting to be lifting the trophy at the Welsh Open in Llandudno this week after admitting his preparation was “not the best.” The triple world champion – a two-time former winer of the Welsh Open – looked rusty as he beat John Astley 4-2 in his opening match of the tournament.

Former two-time champion Mark Williams was far from satisfied with his own performance but still did enough to see off Fan Zhengyi 6-4 in the opening round of the UK Championship. Williams, whose best break was an 86 to nudge over the line, is keen to avoid the mishaps which hampered his chances of making it a trio of successes in recent years. “This tournament hasn’t really been good for me in the last few years,” admitted Wales’ three-time world champion.

When it comes to the Rugby World Cup, nobody knows it better than Warren Gatland. The Wales head coach has plenty to look forward to next month, with his 60th birthday to celebrate as well as a fifth trip to rugby’s showpiece event.

Jak Jones admitted he was dismayed with his own performance as he let a semi-final place at snooker’s World Championship slip through his grasp. The cueman from Cwmbran bowed out at the quarter-final stage in Sheffield after losing 13-10 to Mark Allen in a match both players felt did not show the best of their talents.

Welsh qualifier Jak Jones showed gritty determination as he and Mark Allen remained locked together after a gruelling second session of their quarter-final clash at the Cazoo World Snooker Championship. Jones – the only Welshman to make the last eight after the exit of Mark Williams – has proved the surprise package of the tournament after knocking out Neil Robertson in the last round.

Mark Williams has no interest in tempting fate after cruising into the second round of the World Snooker Championship with a 10-5 win over Jimmy Robertson on Monday. The 48-year-old beat the same player by the same score in the same round before going on to lift his improbable third world crown in 2018.

Mark Williams has vowed to keep snookers’ youngsters on their toes after being edged out in the Masters final by Judd Trump. Trump beat Mark Williams 10-8 to win his second Masters title at Alexandra Palace. The Englishman trailed 8-7 but won three frames in a row to clinch the first prize of £250,000, wrapping up victory with a clearance of 126.

Mark Williams believes beating Ronnie O’Sullivan was his most satisfying victory for years as he looks forward to a semi-final battle at the Masters. The veteran Welsh ace ended an eight-year wait for victory over O’Sullivan by storming back from a three-frame deficit to win 6-5 and reach the semi-finals where he will play Jack Lisowski after the Englishman’s 6-4 victory over Hossein Vafaei. Williams’s hopes of beating the seven-time Masters champion seemed distant as O’Sullivan surged into a 3-0 lead at Alexandra Palace.

By Hannah Blackwell Mark Williams shook off the challenge of David Gilbert – and the attentions of a persistent wasp – to win his Masters first-round match 6-2 at Alexandra Palace. The world No 7 began in ominous fashion, hitting back-to-back century breaks to start the match and adding a further run of 95 to […]