Mark Williams sparks laughter at the Crucible after offering out cue for tricky shot against Barry Hawkins in World Championship clash
Published 24/04/2026 at 23:56 GMT+1
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Mark Williams had the Crucible in stitches during his second-round match against Barry Hawkins on Friday after offering up his cue for a tricky shot.
'You have a go!' - Crucible erupts into laughter as Williams offers out cue for tricky shot
Video credit: TNT Sports
Hawkins led Williams 7-4 in the World Championship match and was up 64-44 in the 12th frame as the pair bid for a place in the quarter-finals.
And then Williams, a three-time world champion who was denied a fourth crown in last year's final against maiden winner Zhao Xintong, found himself in a tricky position.
Aiming for the green ball, which was nestled along the top cushion, Williams bent over with one eye closed - along with the referee - as he tried to navigate the cue ball beyond the pink, which was blocking his path to the green.
There was some slight murmuring in the crowd, which led Williams to turn around and offer out his cue to someone in the crowd, saying: "Yeah, here you are!"
The TNT Sports commentary team, Hawkins and the Crucible crowd all saw the funny side of it before those packed inside the iconic Sheffield arena applauded the Welshman's humour.
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But it was not the first time that 51-year-old Williams had the Sheffield crowd in fits of laughter, as he enjoyed his 28th World Championship campaign.
Earlier in the match, he was looking to wrap up a total clearance of 131 and after sending down the pink - with the frame already won - he attempted a cheeky double on the black to add gloss to an excellent visit.
The final ball slowly rolled toward the pocket, brushing the top cushion on its way, but never looked like going in as Williams took a red out of the pocket and placed it hanging between the jaws, ensuring the black would not drop in.
As he pulled level at 2-2 with his second century break of the tournament, the crowd were left laughing as the pair retreated to their dressing rooms for the mid-session interval.
Williams and Hawkins finished the day with the latter leading 10-6 in the race to 13, as 'The Hawk' looks to reach the quarter-final for the first time since 2018.
Hawkins has made it past the second round six times, which came in successive years between 2013 - when he reached the final but lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan - and 2018.
As for Williams, he will be looking to fight back on Saturday to earn a 12th quarter-final appearance.
The winner will face either 2024 winner Kyren Wilson or two-time semi-finalist Mark Allen for a place in the last four in Sheffield.
You can watch every day of the 2026 World Snooker Championship live on TNT Sports. It is available both live and on-demand on HBO Max.
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