Mark Williams somehow managed to sink three reds in one go as he took on reigning world champion Kyren Wilson at the Players Championship, but still lost the frame and match
Mark Williams got three points for the price of one at the Players Championship
Mark Williams pulled off a crowd-pleasing shot during the Players Championship, incredibly pocking three reds with a single shot. Squaring off against current world champion Kyren Wilson in the quarter-finals at Telford, Williams tried an audacious plant using the rest near a cluster of reds.
In what was the ninth frame and with Wilson leading 5-3 in the race to six, the Welshman’s ambitious shot caused a split in the pack that not only potted his target red but sent two additional reds flying into the opposite corner pocket, to the amazement of everyone watching.
The incident drew laughs from the audience and wry smiles from both players. Commentator Dave Hendon couldn't contain his astonishment on ITV, exclaiming: "Good grief. How many went in there? Three! That's one way to win the frame quickly, just pot all the reds in one go."
Despite the shot, Williams couldn’t clinch the frame, as Wilson advanced with a 6-3 victory to secure his spot in the semi-finals against either Neil Robertson or Mark Selby.
Williams will now have to regroup for the upcoming Tour Championship in Manchester, which starts on March 31, and the World Championship, which begins on April 19.
Despite a strong season, the Welsh Potting Machine, who celebrates his 50th birthday this week, has confessed that his vision is failing him fast. After his hard-fought first-round victory over Ding Junhui on Monday, he revealed to ITV: "It is a good win for me because, if I am totally honest with you, my eyes have completely gone.
🔴🔴🔴 Mark Williams pots three reds at once 🤯 🤣#PlayersChampionship | @sportsbetio pic.twitter.com/UzTlOiCynz
— WST (@WeAreWST) March 20, 2025
"For the last six months, it has deteriorated quite badly. It was just long ones that were blurry, but now everything is blurry."
Williams acknowledges that he might need to consider options like laser eye surgery after the World Championship. He said: "It is a bit concerning but I have got to get on with it at the minute. I will see what happens after the Worlds.
Williams is struggling with his eyesight
"The big scoreboard at the end of the table, I can't even see it, I can't make it out. It is all a blur and is getting worse by the month, so it is a good win for me, considering I am half-blind!
"It's mad. It has got to a stage if anything's close I have no idea if they go, so I just go for them. It is hard enough playing anyway, but when you are playing safeties and long pots, you are guessing."
Kyren Wilson proved too strong for Williams
Meanwhile, Wilson was pleased to progress at the expense of the three-time world champion, although he wasn't entirely happy with his performance. The Warrior said: “Mark’s so good, you can’t allow him into a match. At 2-0, I should have gone into the interval at least 3-1 up.
“If anything, Mark probably felt he won that little mini-session to go 2-2 so it was about resetting, going into the practice room, hitting a few balls and I came out and won the next frame to go 3-2. That seemed set me back on the right path.”
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