Filed under: Other Sports, Snooker
Mark Williams' involvement in the second week of the Crucible in recent years has involved little more than watching on television at home in the wake of an early exit, but this time the Welshman has continued his remarkable renaissance by ensuring he's one of the last eight players left standing at the sharp end of the tournament.For most of the five years since his last appearance in the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship, Williams' mounting hours sat in front of the box matched his spiraling ranking as a quiet slide into obscurity beckoned for the two-time Sheffield winner.
But after a stunning about-turn in fortunes which has been as welcome as it was unexpected given the way Williams had apparently fallen out of love with the sport, the 35-year-old is in with a decent chance of adding a third title to his impressive collection eight years after the second.
In addition, victory at the Crucible would in all probability restore the left-hander to the top of the rankings, just a couple of years after he had slipped to a provisional 47 in the world with a premature retirement the only apparent option.
"You miss being here in the second week of the tournament, and I've been watching it at home in the last few years," he admitted as he gears up to contest a semi-final place over the best of 25 frames with Northern Ireland's Mark Allen, another leftie who on his day can make the game look as ridiculously easy as his forthcoming opponent.
Williams added: "In two of those five years I've played Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round, which is very tough to meet at that stage. For me, the tournament doesn't really start until the second week but I've not been here for such a long time, I don't know what it feels like, but now I've got as good a chance as anyone.
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