Mark Williams has abruptly withdrawn from the World Seniors Snooker Championship despite the tournament beginning in less than a week. The three-time world champion, 51, was earmarked as the event's headliner but will now be replaced by Nigel Bond at the Crucible.

The Welshman was knocked out in the second round of the World Snooker Championship by Barry Hawkins last weekend, putting an end to his hopes of capturing a fourth world title. Williams has yet to comment publicly on the reason for his withdrawal but his complaints about his eyesight and the yips have been well documented in recent months.

Bond, 60, is certainly a worthy replacement given his status as a British Open champion and former world finalist. The Englishman currently works as the head coach at Ronnie O'Sullivan's snooker academy in Saudi Arabia. The World Seniors Snooker Tour confirmed Williams' absence on X: "Mark Williams will be replaced in the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship by Nigel Bond.

"Bond, from Derbyshire, is a former British Open and Shootout Champion who reached the final of the World Professional Championship in 1995. He is also a former winner of the World Seniors Snooker Championship, something he achieved in 2012. Since retiring Nigel has been head coach in Riyadh at the Ronnie O'Sullivan Snooker Academy.

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"He will face the winner of Craig Steadman or Neal Jones on Friday, May 8." Williams has been plagued with eye issues and contemplated going under the knife for lens replacement surgery. The snooker icon opened up about the situation after his first-round victory against Antoni Kowalski, as he told TNT Sports: "Optical Express are ringing me every week saying I'm on the priority list and can get straight in and have them done.

"But how do I put myself under the knife, or whatever it is, when I am winning tournaments and playing OK? I will 100 per cent get it done, but I just can't bring myself to do it right now. I can't grumble. The way I am playing at my age at the moment, I am more than happy. I've won a ranking tournament this season and I'm in the last 16 of the Worlds. If you had said that at the start, I would have bitten your hand off."

Despite his struggles, Williams has vowed to play longer than his Class of 92 rivals, Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins. He recently said: "I just did an interview with Steve Davis, and he asked me: 'Which of you is going to give up first?'. I said: 'It's not me!'.

"I have already made up my mind, when I drop off the tour, I will keep playing in the amateurs, and travel around with my boy [13-year-old son Joel] if he's still playing. So I'm out of the equation. It's who's going to crack out of those two, because I'm staying, even if I drop off the tour. I'll be on the amateur circuit, trying to get back on. I am going to see where I am at 55, in the top 16 or wherever, and just keep on trucking."