Page pride as he gets set for clash with mentor

JACKSON Page is “proud” Mark Williams has referred to him as “not just a friend, more like my fourth son”.

Page booked a last-16 clash with his mentor Williams tomorrow by defeating 2013 runner-up Barry Hawkins on his World Championship debut.

The 20-year-old is just two years older than Williams’ eldest son, Connor, and has a close relationship with the 47-year-old three-time world champion.

“I’m proud, definitely - they’re nice words for Mark to say,” Page told BBC Wales.

“Apart from practising together obviously, we go for food, play golf, have a game of cards, bingo. We have a good laugh – it’s been like that for years.”

Williams has already knocked out one fellow Welshman, hammering Michael White 10-3 in his first-round match.

There has been plenty of banter between Page and Williams regarding their walk-on music before their match.

Both players entered the Crucible arena for their first-round matches to the sounds of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit ‘Bad Moon Rising’.

Page is planning to use that song again and, despite their friendship, says that when they are both seated between frames they will not be chatting – with Williams upping the ante by saying “I want to destroy him [Page]”, but adding that “if I am going to lose to anybody and had to pick, it would be him”.

“I think Mark’s going to change his music, but I haven’t got a clue what he’s going to use. Mark’s already told me not to speak to him when we’re sitting down!” Page said.

In their only previous meeting in a ranking tournament, Williams won 4-1 at the 2020 Scottish Open but Page will take huge encouragement from his shock first-round win on his Crucible debut.

The young qualifier, ranked 90 in the world, beat world number nine Hawkins 10-7 and sealed a famous victory with breaks of 128 and 135 in the last two frames.

“I’m feeling really confident,” Page added.

“Hopefully I can carry that on. It’s really just going to be a great buzz.”