World Championship 2025: Mark Williams predicts Ronnie O'Sullivan won't play Crucible - 'The crowd only want to see him'
Published 29/03/2025 at 09:49 GMT
Mark Williams hopes fellow multiple world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will end his extended absence from the sport by returning to compete at the 49th World Championship in Sheffield next month. The snooker GOAT has not been seen at a ranking event since the UK Championship in November, and Williams fears he could also miss the Crucible. "It would be huge, and disappointing for our game," he said.
O'Sullivan bangs cue on table after miss at World Snooker Championship
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Mark Williams fears fellow 'Class of 92' member Ronnie O'Sullivan will choose to opt out of the World Championship having failed to appear at a ranking event since the UK Championship in November.
Williams is set to defend his Tour Championship title in Manchester next week with a tournament opener against Ding Junhui, before he turns his attention towards a possible tilt at a fourth world title in Sheffield next month.
But the Welshman, who defeated O'Sullivan 10-5 to claim the Tour trophy a year ago, predicts his old rival may decide to give the Crucible a miss for the first time since they turned professional 33 years ago.
"Look, I don’t know what the situation is, but if I was to have a guess now I’d probably say he’s not going to play," Williams told Metro. "I don’t know, I’m just guessing."
Williams feels O'Sullivan's motivation to break Stephen Hendry's record of seven world titles is not his main priority in life after equalling the Scotsman's modern day record in 2022.
"He’s pulled out of the last tournaments, so obviously he’s not ready or doesn’t want to play," said Williams, who plans to use contact lenses for the first time in competitive play against Ding on Monday and Tuesday.
"And he’s not going to play in the worlds for £500,000 to the winner. Or to take over Hendry’s mantle.
"I don’t really think he’s worried about that stuff. I know you boys [the media] put it on him that he wants to be past Hendry, but I honestly don’t think he’s worried about stuff like that."
O'Sullivan withdrew from the Championship League in Leicester at the outset of the year after smashing his cue, just days before he was due to begin his Masters defence against John Higgins in London.
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That prompted another extended absence from the sport, with his last competitive match coming in a 3-2 defeat to Robert Milkins at the Championship League on January 9.
There have been claims O'Sullivan could return at the World Championship after famously taking a year out between his title victories in 2012 and 2013.
Williams feels it would be bad for the sport if he opts out of the Crucible, an event he has not missed since making his debut as a teenager in Sheffield back in 1993, before winning the sport's biggest title in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022.
"It would be huge, and it would be disappointing for our game," he said. "All the tournaments that anyone is winning, they’re brilliant and you’ve done well to win it.
"But when he’s in a tournament, it’s different class. You get more crowd in. There’s more buzz. The sponsors are happy. All the other players are fantastic, but the crowd only want to come and see him, there’s no one else.
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"He packs it out whether it’s the first round or the final, and he’s the only one that can do it. For me and for the game, I look forward to when he’s back playing, it will be fantastic."
Williams could be in line for a meeting with O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals of this year's tournament having shared some memorable Crucible contests in the past.
O'Sullivan has won all five of their previous meetings in Sheffield, including a momentous final-frame 147 in a 13-7 last-16 victory in 2008.
"He’s the one that everyone wants to see and that includes myself," said Williams. "If I had to pay 20-30 quid to go and watch any snooker player, it would be him. I wouldn’t want to watch anyone else.
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"He’s the draw. Everything about him. Shots he goes for, breaks, charisma, he walks out of matches, he knocks in 147s, then he doesn’t go for them because the prize money isn’t enough.
"Everything about him is why everyone wants to watch him play. There’s no one in our game that’s even close to pulling the crowds like him. The money we play for now is down to the likes of him."
All matches are the best-of-19 frames with qualifying running between April 7-16 at the English Institute of Sport before the 49th World Championship is staged at the Crucible starting on April 19.
The final concludes on May 5, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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