Mark Williams talks World Snooker Championship contenders and getting ‘cheesed off’ by Ronnie O’Sullivan loss

Mark Williams does not go along with the narrative that this year’s World Snooker Championship is the most open ever, believing it will be one of the usual suspects who lifts the title at the Crucible.

With doubts hanging over some of the big hitters in the draw, along with some serious shocks in tournaments this season and a very high quality of qualifiers, this year’s World Championship feels an open affair.

However, the three-time champ is not so sure, not expecting an outsider to pick up the trophy and feeling like he has heard it all before.

On whether this is the most open draw ever, Williams told Metro.co.uk: ‘Not at all. I think it’s still going to be one of the handful of five or six names anyone could pick off the top of their head.

‘One of them will win it anyway, probably. They say it’s the most open tournament every year. “Anyone can win this one!” Selby wins it. “This is the most open tournament we’ve ever seen!” Judd Trump wins it or Ronnie wins it. “You can’t pick a winner this time!” Selby wins again. It’s the same every year.’

Asked whether he is in that handful of potential winners, Williams typically downplayed his chances, saying: ‘No I’m not. Not really. I never really put myself in that.’

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Williams isn’t really ruling out his chances though, despite being rated as something of an outside in the betting before the tournament.

The three-time champion who won as recently as 2018 was available at around 33/1 in places which seems odd given his Crucible pedigree and good form this