‘Do I keep playing blurry?’ – Williams on eye surgery decision

Three-time world champion Mark Williams says he has a “big decision to make” over whether to go through with lens replacement surgery.

The Welshman, who is level at 8-8 with world number one Judd Trump in his World Championship semi-final at the Crucible, is scheduled to have the procedure on 12 June.

Williams, who turned 50 in March, said recently that his “eyes had completely gone” and that his eyesight had “deteriorated quite badly” in the previous six months.

However, he says he has been discouraged after fellow professional Anthony Hamilton, once ranked in the world’s top 10, told him it had “ruined his career”.

Williams said: “I have been reading up and talking to people who have had it done and I’ve got to be honest, it is putting me off a bit.

“I’ve got a big decision to make. A couple of people I have spoken to, especially Anthony Hamilton at length, have said it is no good under the lights and it has ruined his career.

Williams won the Champion of Champions title in November, two months after reaching the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters, and is currently ranked sixth in the world.

Before the World Championship, he tried playing with contact lenses but elected to play without them after discussions with his coach Lee Walker.

He has defeated Wu Yize, Hossein Vafaei and won a classic against fellow ‘Class of 92’ member John Higgins on the final black in Sheffield.

Should he beat Trump, he would become the oldest player to reach a Crucible final.