Williams delighted to be staying in Belfast after receiving good news
MARK WILLIAMS has decided not to withdraw from the Dafabet Northern Ireland Open after hearing the news that his wife has returned home from hospital.
The double world champion had considered leaving Belfast even before taking to the table against Tom Ford, with wife Joanne suffering from viral meningitis back home.
But he played on in his secondround match, whitewashing his English opponent 4-0 before being told the good news.
“She was in hospital just waiting to hear, at times I was thinking I shouldn’t have come to the tournament but I’m here and I’ll still be here until I have to go back,” he said.
“We’ve just played it by ear. She’s been ill for a bit, since Shanghai, so we’ve been trying to get to the bottom of what it is.
“It’s in the back of your mind, it’s not nice when your other half is in the hospital bed, but when you’re at the table there’s not much you can do but try your best.”
Williams later tweeted: “Just phoned home and good news @ jodenwill is home. Still not feeling well but lot better. Now I know I’m staying in Belfast.”
Remarkably the worries didn’t affect Williams’ performance on the table, wasting little time getting the better of Ford.
Looking clinical at every opportunity, breaks of 92, 78 and 113 saw Williams into today’s last 32, with the last effort his 400th century break in competition.
He now plays Akani Songsermsawad or Wang Yuchen in the first match of a potential doubleheader.
It was not to be for Duane Jones, however, unable to stop the rampant Ronnie O’Sullivan in his tracks in a 4-0 whitewash.
But it’s a scoreline the Welsh rookie will be bitterly disappointed with, gifting the five-time world champion the first frame when just needing to pot the black.
That painted the picture of the entire contest, O’Sullivan doing more than enough to keep his hopes of a £1m Home Nations bonus alive should he win all four tournaments.
Watch the Northern Ireland Open LIVE on Eurosport, Eurosport Player and Quest with Colin Murray and daily studio analysis with Neal Foulds.