Mark Williams hoping second sport can push him to World Snooker Championship glory | Other | Sport

Mark Williams reckons golf courses and coal mines help drive his Crucible bid. The three-time champion put the cue away straight after his opening round win over Antoni Kowalski and got the clubs out. Williams returned to home for rounds at Celtic Manor aiming to relax and improve his handicap around the 2010 Ryder Cup course.

He smiled: “Eight’s not too bad. That’s because it’s hard, very hard.” The 51-year-old believes it’s the ideal way to build-up for today’s clash against Barry Hawkins. Williams had made his feelings clear on the plans as he said: “Hopefully have a game Monday, Tuesday, maybe Wednesday afternoon and come back up here Thursday night, probably, or something like that and just relax.

“I don’t really want to stay there for that long. I’d get bored by the time Friday comes, so a few games of golf and then I should be alright.”

Williams’ constantly calm outlook to the Worlds comes from an upbringing which makes him always grateful for what he has and where he stands in the scheme of life.

He said: “I just don’t take the game too seriously. I’ve always said it for years. My father and grandfather between them, 60-70 years, they’ve done a pit, digging coal for 13 hours a shift.

“I’m playing a little hobby sport really, some people don’t class it as a sport, I’m playing something for a living. I haven’t got to do nothing really, just go to the club, practise, go to the tournaments and try your best.

“I’m one of the lucky ones. You’ve got so many tournaments to play in now, it’s fantastic to be involved in them. I mean, some of the scheduling is tough, especially if you’re older, you play in Germany on a Sunday and then you’ve got to play in Hong Kong on a Monday.

“But, if I went home and moaned to my old man that I’ve got to pick up a cheque for £70,000 for winning in Germany and go to Hong Kong for £20,000 the next day, and I said I’m tired, he’d probably give me a good slap, you know what I mean? Get on with it or don’t go. It’s easy.”

Williams may be troubled by issues with his worsening eyesight, but he remains a classy operator and dangerous at the Crucible.

Assessing his current form, last year’s finalist said: “It’s okay, I mean, I’ve won a tournament, a big tournament this year in the calendar, then I took quite a few months off, I pulled out of a lot of tournaments because I didn’t really need to play and everything.

“That tournament got me in a lot of things, so I took my foot off the gas a bit, but I’m more than happy with the way I’m playing this season, really.”

Williams, of course, stated prior to the tournament he’d run down the M4 naked if he lifts the title and, asked again if he would keep that promise, he smiled: “Yeah, no problem. It might take me a while, but no problem!”