Mark Williams hopes for win to honour ‘legends’ Ray Reardon and Terry Griffiths
By Phil Casey, PA
Mark Williams hopes he can honour two legends of Welsh snooker by winning his fourth world title and insists his celebrations would be considerably quieter this time around.
This year’s World Snooker Championship is the first to be held since six-time champion Ray Reardon died in July 2024, with 1979 winner and fellow Welshman Terry Griffiths following seven months later.
“Obviously they are two legends of Welsh sport and I’m playing in the final,” Williams said ahead of the two-day showdown with China’s Zhao Xintong at the Crucible.
“Maybe I’ve got Griffiths on one shoulder and Ray on the other, willing me on.
“It’s funny how things happen. It would be nice to win it [this year], obviously for myself and them as well because they’re the reason most of us young Welsh people are playing snooker, so fingers crossed.
“Last time I won it I went on a nice bender for about six months but if I manage to win this one I’m not even going to celebrate.
“I’m not even going to do any exhibitions, just going to chill out, play a lot of golf, go to China and do some promotional stuff. Either way really, if I win it or lose it.”
Williams won his first world title in 2000 – when Zhao was just three years old – and his most recent in 2018, when he famously conducted his winning press conference naked – apart from a towel – to fulfil a promise made earlier in the tournament when he wrote off his chances.
Asked if there would be a repeat of such antics this year, Williams joked: “Not at all. My little thing is staying in my trousers.”
Xintong is playing in his first Crucible final after returning to the sport following a 20-month ban for his part in a match-fixing scandal, but has been made favourite for the title after thrashing seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 17-7 in their semi-final.
“There’s going to be a few nerves but if you look at him, watch him walk around the table he doesn’t look like he’s got a nerve in his body so I don’t think the occasion is going to bother him,” Williams said of his 28-year-old opponent.
“Just look at the way he dismantled Ronnie O’Sullivan. I know he didn’t play very well, but who the hell beats him with a session to spare at the Crucible?
“For Xintong it must be like playing his grandfather in the final. I’ll be hobbling around there for two days and he’ll just be running around like a little whipper-snapper.
“I read the other day it could be the changing of the guard coming through and it probably is. It would be brilliant if he won the world title for China and the sport in general, but not just yet.”