World Championship 2021 – ‘I’m sick and tired of it’ – Mark Williams defends 'perfectly legal' break

ByBen Snowball

Updated 22/04/2021 at 06:47 GMT

“They’ve sent an email asking players what they think about it. Get on with it. There are a lot of worse things happening than worrying about my poxy break-off,” said Williams after completing a 10-4 win over Sam Craigie. The three-time world champion will meet fellow Class of ’92 member John Higgins in the second round in Sheffield.

Mark Williams has hit back in the row over his cautious break-offs at the World Championship, saying he is fed up of watching snooker’s top players punish him immediately.

The Welshman repeatedly started frames by rolling the cue ball down the table so it nestled underneath the reds during his 10-4 win over Sam Craigie at the Crucible, denying his opponent the chance of a long-range pot.

World number one Judd Trump has branded it “negative” and said the sport’s top players had a duty to be entertaining.

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But Williams – the fastest player currently on tour – disagrees and said it was foolish to persist with a break-off that kept putting him in difficult situations.

• 'It’s so negative' – Trump urges rivals to stop boring break-offs
• 'One of the best in Crucible history' – Bingham hails match-winning break

'It’s so negative' – Trump urges rivals to stop boring break-offs

“The only reason I’m doing it is because I’m sick and tired of leaving a red on and people potting it and making breaks,” Williams said on Eurosport.

“I just thought I had to find a way to stop them doing it, which I have.”

Trump, who is one of the best long-potters on the circuit, said he hoped his fellow professionals would see it is harming the game.

However, Williams said he will continue to play the shot and laughed off the idea of it being banned.

“How can they ban a perfectly legal shot?” he said.

“Are they going to start banning rolling up to the baulk colours or when the white goes behind the black?

“They’ve sent an email asking players what they think about it. Get on with it. There are a lot of worse things happening than worrying about my poxy break-off.”

Williams booked a headline second-round clash with John Higgins, with the match kicking off at 14:30 BST on Friday.

Trump: Players need to help make snooker 'as exciting as possible'

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You can watch every match of the World Championship live and ad-free on the Eurosport App and eurosport.co.uk. Download the Eurosport app now for iOS and Android.

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