The Welshman had raced in to a 5-4 lead, but Jiahui turned the game on its head to take a 5-7 lead. And with a crucial frame coming up, Williams’ frustrations were laid bare as he was 58 behind with just 59 points left on the table. However, Williams missed the pot to the middle and he punched his cue in fury.
The Welshman, then on his way back to his seat, offered his cue to a member of the audience sitting in the front row in Sheffield. Williams would never recover from the mishap, and Jiahui would produce the shock of the round to dump him out 9-10. Speaking on BBC Two, Dennis Taylor said: “Mark was not at his best but you can’t take anything away from Si Jiahui.
It’s been a very entertaining match. He’s a very modest boy but he’s played brilliantly.” Regarding Mark Williams’ reaction to the missed pot, Dennis Taylor mentioned that it was one of the best breaks under pressure and if Williams can do that more regularly, he could be a future world champion.
Taylor believes that Williams has the potential to win the world championship, but whether it’s this year is uncertain. This year’s World Championship features interviews with current players, legends of the baize, pundits, TV presenters, World Snooker Tour management, and other characters from behind the scenes, making it the perfect addition to the event. Williams has become the sixth top seed to crash out in the opening round, alongside Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, Ali Carter, Gary Wilson, and Zhang Anda.
