Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Mark Williams (snooker player)

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Mark Williams (snooker player) made an impact.

Mark Williams is a Welsh professional snooker player renowned for his three World Championship titles (2000, 2003, 2018) and multiple stints as world number one. He achieved a historic Triple Crown in the 2002-03 season, winning the UK Championship, the Masters, and the World Championship, becoming only the third player to accomplish this feat. Uniquely, Williams has won all three versions of the professional world championship: the World Snooker Championship, the Six-red World Championship, and the World Seniors Championship.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

January 1991: World Masters Junior Event Final

In January 1991, Mark Williams reached the final of the junior event at the World Masters but lost 1-6 to John Higgins.

1992: Became a Professional Player

In 1992, Mark Williams became a professional snooker player.

1992: Turned Professional

In 1992, Mark Williams was one of 173 players who turned professional, finishing his first season ranked 119th out of 595.

January 1996: Welsh Open Title Win

In January 1996, Mark Williams won the Welsh Open title, defeating John Parrott 9–3 in the final.

October 1996: Grand Prix Win

In October 1996, Mark Williams won the Grand Prix, defeating Euan Henderson 9–5 in the final.

April 1997: British Open Win

In April 1997, Mark Williams won the British Open, beating Stephen Hendry 9–2 in the final.

February 1998: First Masters Title

In February 1998, Mark Williams secured his first Masters title, defeating Stephen Hendry 10–9 in a final that ended on a black-ball finish.

1998: First Masters Tournament Win

In 1998, Mark Williams won his first Masters tournament.

November 1999: UK Championship Win

In November 1999, Mark Williams won the UK Championship, defeating Stephen Hendry in the semi-final and Matthew Stevens in the final.

1999: World Championship Runner-Up

In 1999, Mark Williams reached the final of the World Championship but lost to Stephen Hendry 11–18.

1999: UK Championship Win

In 1999, Mark Williams won the UK Championship.

May 2000: Ranked World Number One

In May 2000, Mark Williams was ranked as the world number one snooker player.

2000: 2000 Grand Prix Win and Runner-Up Finishes

In 2000, Mark Williams won the Grand Prix and was a runner-up in both the UK Championship and the China Open.

2000: World Championship Win and World Number One

In 2000, Mark Williams won the World Championship, defeating Matthew Stevens in the final after a comeback, and captured the world number one position for the first time.

2000: Rematch of the final

In 2015, in a rematch of the 2000 final, Mark Williams faced Matthew Stevens in the first round of the World Championship, but he was heavily defeated.

2001: World Championship Title Defence Ended

In 2001, Mark Williams's title defence at the World Championship ended in the second round with a defeat to Joe Swail.

May 2002: Continued Reign as World Number One

In May 2002, Mark Williams continued to hold the world number one ranking in snooker.

2002: Second UK Championship Win

In 2002, Mark Williams secured his second UK Championship title.

2002: China Open Victory

In 2002, Mark Williams won the China Open, defeating Anthony Hamilton in the final, but lost the number one world ranking.

2002: Stephen Hendry's Century Record

In 2002, Stephen Hendry set a record for the most centuries in a single World Championship, which Mark Williams later equaled in 2022.

May 2003: Reclaimed World Number One Position

In May 2003, Mark Williams regained the world number one ranking and held it until May 2004.

2003: Triple Crown and World Championship Win

In 2003, Mark Williams had an exceptional season, winning all three Triple Crown events including the World Championship, and reclaimed the number one spot. He beat Stephen Hendry in the Masters final. He had a scare before the 2003 World Championship when his cue was damaged on a Ryanair flight.

2003: First Round Loss at UK Championship

In 2003, Mark Williams lost in the first round of the UK Championship, ending his run of 48 tournaments with a first-match win.

2003: Reached semi-final stage of the World Snooker Championship

In 2003, Mark Williams reached the semi-final stage of the World Snooker Championship for the first time since 2003, but lost against Higgins.

2003: Second World Championship Title and Masters Win

In 2003, Mark Williams won his second World Championship title and also won the Masters tournament.

2003: Reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Open

In 2015, Mark Williams earned a place in the semi-finals of the Welsh Open for the first time since 2003. However, he lost the deciding frame and fell short of reaching the final in his home tournament.

2003: Reached his first World Championship final since 2003

In 2018, Mark Williams reached his first World Championship final since 2003.

February 2004: Masters Title Defence Failure

In February 2004, Mark Williams was unable to defend his title at the Masters, losing in the quarter-finals to Paul Hunter.

May 2004: End of World Number One Reign

In May 2004, Mark Williams's reign as the world number one snooker player came to an end.

April 2005: Maximum Break at World Championship

On April 20, 2005, at the World Championship, Mark Williams scored a maximum break in the final frame of his first-round victory but lost in the second round.

March 2006: China Open Victory

On March 26, 2006, Mark Williams won the China Open in Beijing, defeating John Higgins in the final, and retained his top-16 ranking.

September 2006: Pot Black Trophy Win

In September 2006, Mark Williams won the Pot Black trophy and compiled a century break of 119, the highest break in the tournament's history.

2007: UK Championship Quarter-Finals

At the 2007 UK Championship, Mark Williams defeated Ricky Walden and Mark Allen with a comeback, but lost to Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals.

2007: Dropped out of Top 16

Following the 2007 season, Mark Williams dropped out of the top 16 snooker players.

2007: Worst Season of Career

In 2006–07, Mark Williams experienced what was potentially the worst season of his career, facing first-match losses in multiple tournaments including the 2007 Masters and World Championship.

July 2008: Split from Management Company

On July 8, 2008, it was announced that Mark Williams had split from his management company, 110 Sport.

2008: UK Championship Quarter-Finals

In 2008, Mark Williams reached the quarter-finals of the UK Championship, defeating Mark Selby and Graeme Dott before losing to Ali Carter.

2009: Wrist Injury and Grand Prix Semi-Finals

In 2009, Mark Williams broke his wrist and reached the semi-finals of the Grand Prix, losing to Ding Junhui despite a high break of 142, and progressed at the UK Championship due to Graeme Dott's retirement. He was also involved in a car accident before the 2010 Masters.

2009: World Championship First Round Loss

In 2009, Mark Williams qualified for the World Championship but lost to Stephen Hendry in the first round, hampered by cue tip issues.

2009: Regained Top 16 Place

In 2009, Mark Williams regained his place in the top 16 snooker players.

April 2010: China Open Victory

In April 2010, Mark Williams won the China Open, defeating Ding Junhui in the final and marking his first ranking tournament win in four years.

2010: Masters Semi-Finals Loss

At the 2010 Masters, Mark Williams progressed to the quarter-finals and was narrowly defeated by Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals.

2010: Co-ownership of Tredegar Snooker Hall

In 2010, Mark Williams became co-owner of Tredegar Snooker Hall in Georgetown, Blaenau Gwent.

2010: Won the first event of the Players Tour Championship

In 2010, Mark Williams began the 2010-11 season by winning the first event of the Players Tour Championship, defeating Maguire 4-0 in the final. This event was a new addition to the snooker calendar introduced by Barry Hearn. He also competed in the 2010 Premier League, but failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Williams also reached the final of the 2010 UK Championship but lost to Higgins 9-10.

May 2011: Ranked World Number One Again

In May 2011, Mark Williams was once again ranked the world number one snooker player.

September 2011: End of World Number One Reign

In September 2011, Mark Williams's time as the world number one snooker player ended.

2011: German Masters Win

In 2011, Mark Williams won the German Masters tournament.

2011: Reached the finals of the Australian Goldfields Open and Shanghai Masters

In 2011, Mark Williams, partnered with Matthew Stevens, reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, losing against China. He reached the final of the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open but lost against Bingham. He also lost in the final of the 2011 Shanghai Masters and relinquished the world number one spot to Selby.

2011: Won the German Masters and became world number one

In 2011, Williams lost in the first round of the Masters against Ding. He won the German Masters, defeating Mark Selby 9-7 in the final. At the China Open, he lost in the first round against Stephen Lee. He reached the semi-final stage of the 2011 World Snooker Championship and became the new world number one after the event.

2012: Reached the quarter-finals in his defence of the German Masters

In 2012, Mark Williams was beaten in the last 16 of the UK Championship by Ricky Walden, and he reached the quarter-finals in his defence of the 2012 German Masters, where he succumbed to Lee.

2012: Lost in the quarter-finals of the Wuxi Classic and semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters

In 2012, Mark Williams' first ranking event of the 2012–13 season was the 2012 Wuxi Classic, where he lost 3–5 to Marcus Campbell in the quarter-finals. He went one better at the 2012 Shanghai Masters where he faced Judd Trump in the semi-finals but was defeated 4–6.

2013: Won the Rotterdam Open

At the start of the 2013–14 season, Mark Williams won the Rotterdam Open by defeating Mark Selby 4–3 in the final. This was the second time that Williams had won a title in a Players Tour Championship event.

2013: Beat Stevens in the non-ranking Masters

In 2013, Mark Williams managed to beat Stevens in the non-ranking Masters from 1–4 down, before losing to Selby. He won his first match in a ranking event since September with a 5–2 victory over Lü Haotian at the 2013 China Open. At the 2013 World Championship, he lost in the first round to Michael White.

2014: Reached the quarter-final of the International Championship

In 2014, Mark Williams reached his first quarter-final of the campaign at the 2014 International Championship. He won against O'Sullivan for the first time in 12 years. His semi-final match against Mark Allen also ended in a deciding frame, but he lost 8–9. He was defeated by Stephen Maguire in the third round of the 2014 UK Championship.

March 2015: Won the World Seniors Championship

In March 2015, Mark Williams won the World Seniors Championship by beating Fergal O'Brien 2–1 in the final.

2015: Progressed to his first major ranking event final in more than three years

In 2015, Mark Williams progressed to his first major ranking event final in more than three years with a win over Trump. However, he lost the match against Joe Perry. In a rematch of the 2000 final, Williams faced Matthew Stevens in the first round of the 2015 World Championship, but he was defeated.

2016: Lost in the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Open and UK Championship

In 2016, Mark Williams lost in the quarter-finals to Kyren Wilson at the Northern Ireland Open. He reached another quarter-final at the UK Championship but was defeated by O'Sullivan.

2016: Reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time in five years

In 2016, Mark Williams was eliminated in the fourth round of the Welsh Open, and in the first round of three other ranking events. At the 2016 World Championship, he reached the quarter-finals of the championship for the first time in five years.

2017: Reached the final of the China Open

In 2017, Mark Williams made it through to the final of the China Open where his opponent was Selby, but he lost the match. He reached the last-32 qualifying round at the World Championship but was defeated.

2017: Won the Six-red World Championship and Northern Ireland Open

In 2017, Mark Williams teamed up with Lee Walker and SightRight coach Stephen Feeney. He won the Six-red World Championship in September. He then won his first ranking title after a six-year drought, the 2017 Northern Ireland Open.

2017: Northern Ireland Open Victory

In 2017, Mark Williams won the Northern Ireland Open, marking his next ranking title victory after six years.

2018: Won his third World Championship

In 2018, Mark Williams advanced to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Championship. He reached his first World Championship final since 2003 and won against John Higgins to claim his third world title. At 43, this made him the oldest winner since Ray Reardon in 1978.

2018: Defeated Judd Trump to reach the final where he faced Graeme Dott

In 2018, Mark Williams beat Judd Trump to reach the final of the German Masters where he faced Graeme Dott. Williams dominated the final and claimed a 9-1 victory.

2018: Third World Championship Title

In 2018, Mark Williams won his third World Championship title.

2018: Won the World Open

In 2018, Mark Williams won the second event of the new season, the World Open. At the 2018 UK Championship, Williams reached the last-16 round.

2018: Victories at German Masters and World Championship

The 2017–18 season was successful for Mark Williams, as he won the 2018 German Masters before winning his third world title at the Crucible.

2019: Title defence ended in the second round of the World Championship

In 2019, Mark Williams lost to Neil Robertson at the Masters. At the 2019 World Championship, his world title defence ended in the second round with a loss to Gilbert.

2019: 2019 Six-red World Championship and China Championship

In 2019, Mark Williams reached the semi-finals of the Six-red World Championship, losing to Higgins. He also reached the final of the China Championship, where he lost to Shaun Murphy in a deciding frame, after trailing behind.

2020: 2020 Masters and World Championship

In 2020, Williams lost in the first round of the Masters to Stuart Bingham and admitted his career was at a "crossroads". He reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship, losing to O'Sullivan despite initially leading.

August 2021: 2021 British Open Victory

In August 2021, Mark Williams won his 24th ranking title by defeating Gary Wilson in the final of the British Open.

2021: 2021 Masters, WST Pro Series, and World Championship

In 2021, Williams lost in the first round of the Masters to Murphy but won the WST Pro Series. He defeated Higgins in the second round of the World Championship but lost in the quarter-finals to Selby. He also caused controversy with a safety shot.

2022: 2022 UK Championship Loss

At the end of 2022, Mark Williams lost in the first round of the UK Championship to Jamie Clarke, reportedly feeling unwell.

2022: 2022 Masters and World Championship Performances

In 2022, Williams reached the semi-finals of both the Masters and the World Championship. At the Masters, he lost to Neil Robertson. At the World Championship, he lost to Judd Trump. During the tournament, Williams equaled the record for centuries in a single World Championship.

October 2023: 2023 British Open Victory

In October 2023, Mark Williams won the British Open in Cheltenham, defeating Mark Selby to become the second-oldest winner of a ranking event.

2023: British Open Win

In 2023, Mark Williams won the British Open.

2023: 2023 Masters and World Championship

In 2023, Williams defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Masters for the first time in eight years, reaching the final where he lost to Trump. He was later eliminated in the second round of the World Championship by Luca Brecel.