Snooker
Exclusive: Guesswork on the Table as Mark Williams Battles Deteriorating Vision
Mark Williams battled past Ding Junhui 6-2 at the 2025 Players Championship but admitted his worsening eyesight is severely affecting his game. Struggling with blurriness, he revealed he is "guessing" on shots and won’t seek treatment until after the World Championship. He faces Kyren Wilson next.
Getty Images / Malcolm Couzens
Mark Williams kicked off his 2025 Players Championship campaign with a hard-fought 6-2 victory over China’s Ding Junhui in Telford.
The Welsh potting machine, who turns 50 later this week, admitted it was far from his best display, but he was relieved to get over the line.
The match was a struggle for both players, with only two 50+ breaks made across the eight frames—an unusually low tally for two of snooker’s most naturally gifted players.
Williams acknowledged the difficulty of the contest but was pleased to advance.
“Tough, tough game. It was a struggle to be honest. But I am over the moon with a win.”
Eyesight Woes Worsening
Williams has spoken openly about his deteriorating eyesight in recent months, but after the match, he revealed that the situation has become significantly worse.
He admitted that he is now "guessing" on certain shots due to severe blurriness.
“The last six months my eyes have deteriorated rapidly. Literally, with the long ones they are just blurry, everything's blurry to me now. Every single shot where there's a straight black off the spot, or an easy blue, it's just blurry. I'm guessing,” Williams told SportsBoom.com.
No Medical Intervention Before the Crucible
Despite the growing impact on his game, Williams confirmed that he won’t be taking any action to fix his eyesight before the World Championship in Sheffield, opting instead to wait until after the tournament.
“No, I’ve tried contacts. I’m going to have to try something after the Worlds [Championships]. I’ll have to look into it more and get something done. Like I say, I’m guessing now.”
“Especially with the lights up there, it magnified it a lot more. I can’t see anything.”
Sheffield Preparations 'Irrelevant'
Many players view the Players Championship and the Tour Championship as crucial opportunities to fine-tune their game ahead of Sheffield, but Williams believes his match preparation is ultimately futile due to his eyesight issues.
“It’s irrelevant now because it doesn’t matter how many matches I get in. My eyes are still going to be the same. I’ve just got to keep guessing I suppose.”
“There’s nothing I can do before the Worlds. It’ll have to after that.”
Facing Kyren Wilson Next
Williams now turns his attention to the second round, where he will face reigning world champion Kyren Wilson.
However, he isn’t expecting much from the contest, just as he didn’t expect to beat Ding.
“I expected Ding to beat me, to be totally honest with you. And I expect Kyren [Wilson] to beat me if I’m totally honest.”
Despite his pessimism, Williams’ vast experience and tactical nous mean he can never be written off.
Whether he can continue his run in Telford remains to be seen, but his biggest battle right now is not just against his opponents—it’s against his own vision.
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