Mark Williams delays major surgery after making history as oldest World Snooker Championship finalist

Published on July 08, 2025 at 04:43 PM

HALF-BLIND Mark Williams has delayed his eye lens replacement operation following his historic run to the Crucible final.

And the Welsh cueing veteran remains unsure if he will go through with the procedure.

Mark Williams of Wales reacts during a snooker match.
Mark Williams was supposed to undergo eye lens replacement surgery
Mark Williams reacts during a snooker match.
But he’s decided to push back the procedure in the wake of his impressive Snooker World Championship run

That’s despite paying a deposit to his local Optical Express branch.

In March, after losing in the Players Championship in Telford, the 50-year-old revealed that “every single shot seems blurry”; because his “eyes have gone”;.

It was a surprising revelation from a top-class sportsman, but the three-time world champion has been struggling for a while with his vision.

Yet amazingly, he made it all the way to the World Championship final – he became the oldest finalist in history when he dumped out in the semi-finals.

Zhao Xintong proved too strong, winning 18-12 across four sessions, but Williams banked £200,000 for his troubles.

Eye surgery was booked in for June 12, but the world No.3 has now postponed that for the time being.

And sources close to the player say the father-of-three “will take more time to think about it”;.

Anthony Hamilton, who retired this summer from professional sport, told Williams not to go through with the op, claiming it “ruined his career”;.

Williams joked at the Crucible that he might ask for his deposit back as he was undecided about what to do.

There was nothing wrong with his eyesight as he hit a 147 in Shanghai this week in an exhibition.

Williams – who has dabbled in the past with contact lenses – opened up his 2025-26 season with a 5-0 thrashing of Thai cueist Chatchapong Nasa in Wuhan Open qualifying

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