Snooker: Williams aims to be Thai man of the year

Mark Williams will join an elite snooker club if he completes a Bangkok hat-trick.

The Welshman, with a virtually unassailable lead at the top of the provisional world rankings, is quoted at 100-30 to retain his Thailand Masters title and collect the £44,000 first prize.

And if he follows up his twin Thai triumphs of 1999 and last year he will emulate Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry, the only other players to have won the same world-ranking event for three straight years.

"Because of who Steve and Stephen are and what they’ve done in the game it would be fantastic to match them," said Williams.

"The last couple of years I’ve managed to play really well over here and if I can repeat that form again I think I’ve got a good chance."

Williams, who takes on Nottingham’s Michael Holt in the first round tomorrow morning, has arrived with a new laid-back attitude.

After being hammered 7-1 by Hendry in the Rothmans Malta Grand Prix final a fortnight ago, disgruntled Williams described his form as 'a joke', and insisted that 'something drastic had to be done' with his game.

Now, though, Williams, who won the Grand Prix at Telford in October and has been runner-up in four other events this season, is determined to concentrate on results instead of how they are achieved.

"I am just trying to be easier on myself," explained the 25-year-old from Ebbw Vale, now only six weeks away from opening the defence of his Embassy World Championship crown at The Crucible.

"For the last few months my game’s been off the rails because I have been worrying about how to play well all the time. I still want to play well on a regular basis but now I am determined to just think about getting wins under my belt and nothing else.

"I haven’t practised that much since Malta, to be honest. I had a few days off to chill out and relax and now I am really looking forward to this week.

"Playing Michael won’t be easy. He is one of the best up-and-coming players around. But if I can get through that, I’ll be confident."

Hendry, looking to consolidate on his outstanding Malta performance - which yielded his first title in nine months - takes on Welshman Anthony Davies tomorrow, while Jimmy White, still reeling from his surprise failure to qualify for The Crucible, tackles Ken Doherty.

White, an ever-present at the televised stage of the World Championship since his rookie season in 1981, lost 10-7 to Dubliner Michael Judge in the final qualifying round at Newport seven days ago and will be desperate to regain the winning habit.

Giant-killer Judge has also made the trip and tomorrow meets Stoke Dave Harold, a shock winner of the event in 1993 as a 500-1 outsider.