Mark Williams has suddenly pulled out of the World Seniors Snooker Championship despite the tournament being just days away. The three-time world champion, aged 51, had been scheduled as the headline act but will now be replaced by Nigel Bond at the Crucible.
Williams' Recent Exit and Eye Problems
The Welshman was eliminated in the second round of the World Snooker Championship by Barry Hawkins last weekend, ending his hopes of securing a fourth world title. Williams has not yet publicly explained the reasons behind his withdrawal, though his ongoing struggles with eyesight and the yips have been widely reported in recent months.
Nigel Bond Steps In
Bond, 60, is a worthy stand-in given his credentials as a British Open champion and former world finalist. The Englishman currently serves as head coach at Ronnie O'Sullivan's snooker academy in Saudi Arabia. The World Seniors Snooker Tour announced Williams' exit on X: "Mark Williams will be replaced in the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship by Nigel Bond. Bond, from Derbyshire, is a former British Open and Shootout Champion who reached the final of the World Professional Championship in 1995. He is also a former winner of the World Seniors Snooker Championship, something he achieved in 2012. Since retiring Nigel has been head coach in Riyadh at the Ronnie O'Sullivan Snooker Academy. He will face the winner of Craig Steadman or Neal Jones on Friday, May 8."
Williams' Eye Surgery Dilemma
Williams has been troubled by eye problems and has considered undergoing lens replacement surgery. Following his first-round win against Antoni Kowalski, he 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' Long-Term Plans
Despite his difficulties, Williams has vowed to compete longer than his Class of 92 counterparts, Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins. He recently stated: "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."
