Mark Williams reached the second spherical of the World Grand Prix on Tuesday after a 4-3 victory over Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in Leicester.
The Welshman compiled breaks of 134, 52, and a 50 within the deciding body to prevail from a ding-dong battle with the gifted Thai.
“It felt prefer it was recreation,” reigning British Open champion Mark Williams instructed the World Snooker Tour.
“I believe I performed nicely, I believe he performed nicely himself. There wasn’t many balls missed, I missed a few ones I ought to have gotten.
“However I’m anticipating that, I’ve simply obtained to get on with it. Fortunately sufficient, I left him a pair within the final body – not straightforward ones.
“He missed a tough yellow and an extended pink, actually difficult. Aside from that, total I believe it was an honest normal.”
Williams, who will meet Hossein Vafaei within the final 16 on the Morningside Area, has had an honest 2023/24 snooker season to date.
The 48 year-old reached the ultimate of the season-opening Championship League Snooker earlier than capturing a twenty fifth profession rating title on the British Open in October.
Williams is at present ranked contained in the world’s prime eight and is happy together with his degree regardless of growing issues surrounding the situation of his eyesight.
“I believe it’s (my recreation) pretty much as good as it may be with the stage I’m at in my profession,” Williams mentioned.
“The time I’m placing in and my age, I can’t see a lot. I believe it’s pretty much as good as it may be.”
“Once I’m stood up, it’s (eyesight) okayish. Once I get down, most of them are blurred – particularly the lengthy ones. It’s a complete guess.
“Like I mentioned earlier than, I’m guessing alright. I’m getting quite a lot of them. I’m lacking quite a lot of them by miles, however I’m getting a few of them as nicely.
“That’s the rationale I haven’t gone additional into what will be performed.
“I’m going to attempt contacts in a few weeks, however I don’t know the way that’s going to go. I’ll attempt them and see the place I am going from there.”
Elsewhere, Ronnie O’Sullivan superior from his opening encounter with a 4-2 defeat of Pang Junxu.
The Rocket compiled breaks of 111, 95, 70, and 50 to beat the younger Chinese language competitor solely two days after sealing an eighth Masters crown.
O’Sullivan’s opponent from Sunday’s remaining on the Alexandra Palace additionally progressed, with Ali Carter edging Wu Yize in a deciding body.
The animosity between O’Sullivan and Carter has ratcheted up a number of notches for the reason that conclusion of their conflict in London.
There was a disagreement between the pair of Englishmen within the days since, and with each gamers on reverse sides of the draw this week, a possible blockbuster second remaining in opposition to each other stays on the playing cards.
Loads of others may have a say in that between now and the weekend, after all.
The likes of prime seed Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, and Gary Wilson have all safely negotiated their preliminary hurdles.
Tom Ford, Zhou Yuelong, Lyu Haotian, and Cao Yupeng are additionally via to the final 16 following the opening two days of motion.
On Wednesday afternoon, the spherical of 32 concludes with defending champion Mark Allen amongst these getting into the fray.
The Northern Irishman has been handed one of the troublesome first-round attracts in Jack Lisowski.
In a while day three, the second spherical may even begin.
2024 World Grand Prix draw and schedule
(Occasions in UTC)
Spherical of 32 (bo7)
Judd Trump 4-2 Jamie Jones
Lyu Haotian 4-3 Chris Wakelin
Mark Selby 4-3 Yuan Sijun
Ali Carter 4-3 Wu Yize
Barry Hawkins 3-4 Cao Yupeng
John Higgins 0-4 Shaun Murphy
Hossein Vafaei 4-3 Matthew Selt
Mark Williams 4-3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Zhang Anda vs Dominic Dale
(Wed, not earlier than 2pm)
Mark Allen vs Jack Lisowski
(Wed, not earlier than 2pm)
Noppon Saengkham vs Xiao Guodong
(Wed, 1pm)
Ding Junhui vs Ricky Walden
(Wed, 1pm)
Tom Ford 4-1 Jordan Brown
Gary Wilson 4-2 David Gilbert
Zhou Yuelong 4-1 Stephen Maguire
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-2 Pang Junxu
Spherical of 16 (bo7)
Judd Trump vs Lyu Haotian
(Wed, 7pm)
Mark Selby vs Ali Carter
(Wed, 7pm)
Cao Yupeng vs Shaun Murphy
(Wed, not earlier than 8pm)
Hossein Vafaei vs Mark Williams
(Wed, not earlier than 8pm)
Zhang/Dale vs Allen/Lisowski
(Thurs, not earlier than 2pm)
Saengkham/Xiao vs Ding/Walden
(Thurs, not earlier than 2pm)
Tom Ford vs Gary Wilson
(Thurs, 1pm)
Zhou Yuelong vs Ronnie O’Sullivan
(Thurs, 1pm)
Featured picture credit score: WST