It’s Mark Williamzzzz… Welsh snooker star is left embarrassed after falling ASLEEP during his match at the UK Championship, as he blames fatigue on the after-effects of Covid-19
- Williams was playing Anthony Hamilton at the UK Championship on Sunday
- He was leading the match but struggled to stay awake when sat in his chair
- Williams nodded off when leading match 3-2, admitting he ‘didn’t have a clue’
- He went on to lose the late night match 6-5 after fluke in the deciding frame
- 46-year-old pulled out of two tournaments after contracting Covid last month
- Three-time world champion blamed his tiredness on after-effects of the virus
Snooker star Mark Williams was left embarrassed after nodding off in his chair during a match at the UK Championship.
The Welshman, 46, struggled to stay awake during his 6-5 defeat to England’s Anthony Hamilton in the second round of the tournament in York.
Williams was winning his match at the time he snoozed off and blamed his fatigue on the after-effects of Covid-19 contracted last month, which forced him to miss two tournaments.
Mark Williams nodded off while sat in his chair during a match at the UK Championship
The Welsh snooker star was struggling to stay awake during his second round match in York
The three-time world champion said: ‘Thirty years as a professional, that’s the first time I’ve ever fallen asleep in the chair.
‘It was 3-2 and I was out. My head went down and I woke up and I didn’t have a clue where I was for about five seconds.
‘It was a bit embarrassing but I was just shattered.
‘I need to be playing in the mornings, really, or afternoons. The more the days goes on the more tired I get.
Williams took to Twitter to apologise afterwards, saying he was still struggling with Covid-19
Williams, 46, contracted Covid last month and withdrew from two tournaments as a result
‘It’s disappointing but there’s a lot worse people that have had Covid than I’ve had it, so I’m one of the lucky ones really.
‘It’s definitely better than what it was a couple of weeks ago so I’ve just got to keep going, but if I play night matches I’m going to really struggle.’
Williams also wrote an apology on his Twitter account, saying it was a ‘bit embarrassing and not professional’.
The two-time UK champion was winning 3-2 at the time and would extend his advantage to 4-2.
However, as tiredness kicked in, Williams was pegged back and Hamilton profited from a massive fluke on the red during a match-winning break of 70 in the deciding frame.
Williams plays next at the Scottish Open next month and joked: ‘It’s only best of seven, so I should be able to stay awake for that one.’
The three-time world champion said he has started to struggle with games in the evening
