'I'd run the M4 naked' - Williams targets snooker history

"I'd run down the M4 from London to Cardiff naked."

That's how desperate Mark Williams is to win a fourth world title. It's a bold statement, even in jest.

When he last triumphed at the Crucible in 2018, Williams fulfilled a similar pre-tournament pledge to strip off in front of the world's media.

Williams beat John Higgins 18-16 in the final, adding to previous titles in 2000 and 2003, and appeared naked, save for a towel, at his post-match press conference.

"I'd do anything to get another title, but the years go by and you're less likely to win it," he said prior to this year's event.

If he does win, he might be willing to cause traffic chaos on the motorway, while it would mean he surpasses Ronnie O'Sullivan as the oldest ever world champion.

The 51-year-old from the small south Wales village of Cwm, near Ebbw Vale, came agonisingly close to achieving that milestone last year.

The oldest ever finalist, he was eventually beaten 18-12 by Zhao Xintong who himself made history as the first Chinese, and Asian, world champion.

Williams reached the final despite his deteriorating eyesight for which he is awaiting lens replacement surgery.

"If it goes wrong, that's the end. That's the only thing stopping me. I spoke to [former player] Anthony Hamilton, who also had it done, and because of the glare of the TV lights, it ruined his career," said Williams.

"Eventually I'll get my eyes done but whether or not that's this year, next year, I don't know."

As well as an unusual fear of teabags, Williams also revealed after the Tour Championship in Manchester earlier this year he had been struggling with yips - a sudden and unexplained loss of ability to execute certain skills.

"It's a bit concerning. I'm like a paranoid mess at the minute, because I'm just thinking, I'm not going to screw it back, and I'm snatching. And yeah, it's not great, but I need the practise to get out of it," added Williams.

"I'm not putting in enough work. I'm going to come in now and try and play most days until the World Championship just to try and get that timing back."

Williams' cautiousness about going under the knife suggests he still has ambitions to continue on the baize for years to come - and who can blame him.

Last October, at the age of 50 years and 206 days, he beat the mark set back in 1982 by fellow Welshman Ray Reardon to become the oldest winner of a ranking event when he triumphed in the Xi'an Grand Prix.

Even now, having turned 51 last month, he is ranked sixth in the world going into the World Championship this weekend.

"When I was 45 I said I'd like to see where I am in the rankings when I'm 50," Williams recalled.

"I'm not retiring, I made that decision years ago. Let's see where I am in the rankings at 55, that'll be interesting."

He may have ruled out retirement but is not feeling quite so confident about his chances at the Crucible this year.

"I'm still fighting. I'm still trying and that's all I can say," he said.

"I try my best in every tournament and if you win, great, if you lose, that's not the end of the world.

"I've been doing this since I was an eight-year-old kid. My father was going down the mines for 30 years, my grandfather for 50 years.

"I'm just travelling around the world playing the stupid game of snooker, getting paid well for it and enjoying it. You can't put too much pressure on yourself."

Williams has something of a love-hate relationship with the Crucible, but after three previous successes he welcomed confirmation the World Championship will remain at the Sheffield venue until at least 2045.

"It's good. I've always said the Crucible is not my favourite venue, but without doubt the World Championships should stay there," he said.

"It's the home of snooker and there's no atmosphere like it. It's perfect as it is."

The Welsh Potting Machine starts his bid for a fourth world title on the opening day of the tournament - Saturday, 18 April - against qualifier Antoni Kowalski.

Were he to make it all the way to the two-day final on 3-4 May he might need to pull on those running trainers - but nothing else.