Mark Williams considering surgery as vision deteriorates but fears the worst

The Welshman is still going very strong at 48 years old, winning the British Open earlier this month, having reached the Championship League final at the start of the season.

Ranked number nine in the world, there is little wrong with his game, but he does feel like the consequences of ageing are creeping up on him, firstly in terms of stamina, but also with his eyesight.

The three-time world champion says things have got noticeably worse in recent months, but as long as he continues playing well he will not take any drastic measures, concerned about risks involved.

‘My eyesight is nowhere near as good as it used to be. that’s declined over the last 18 months and is getting worse every six months or so,’ Williams told Metro.co.uk. ‘I’ve got glasses now and when I put them on it’s unbelievable, I can see everything and that’s when I realise how bad my eyes actually are.

‘I was thinking about getting my eyes lasered this year and the only reason I haven’t is because I’m still playing to a decent standard.

‘Not everything is successful when you do things with your eyes. It’s just in case something didn’t go well and then that’s the end of your career, really. I’ll keep evaluating it every year and maybe get it done at some point.

‘When I put my glasses on and look at the table it’s unbelievable. The balls looks like footballs, the cloth is lovely green, I can see the pockets clearly. When I take them off I can’t even see the nets of the pockets.

‘If two balls are close together, I can’t see if one goes past the other. On long shots I’m pretty much guessing, but I’m guessing alright at the minute so I don’t want to do anything about it yet.’

It is certainly not doom and gloom from the Welshman about his eyesight, delighted with how he has been playing so far this season and in recent years.

‘My stamina has obviously dropped off, but I think my all round game has improved, I’m a better all round player now than years ago,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a better safety and tactical game now than I did have. I was probably just an out and out potter years ago.’

Williams is looking to win his second ranking title of the season, and the 26th of his career, at the Northern Ireland Open this week.

He downed Tian Pengfei in round one and takes on Robbie Williams in his second contest on Wednesday afternoon.

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