‘I was having breakfast in a Wetherspoons’ – Mark Williams opens up on 11-hour day trip to Hong Kong Masters

Mark Williams has expanded on his whirlwind trip to Asia for the Hong Kong Masters, saying he was in the city for 11 hours.

The Hong Kong Masters was the return of international snooker in Asia following the Covid-19 pandemic, but the schedule was thrown into turmoil when Zhao Xintong was forced to withdraw due to a positive coronavirus test.

Williams was summoned from South Wales, and revealed he was blissfully unaware of the situation until receiving a phone call the day before the event was due to take place.

“I was there for about 10, 11 hours. I arrived at my hotel at about 11. They picked me up at 11:45, took me to the venue. Played, lost. Back to the hotel about 6:30. Picked me up at 7 and back in the airport at 7:50.

“I played alright to be fair.

“It was just one of those phone calls. I was having breakfast in a Wetherspoons and all of a sudden I am in Hong Kong the next day.”

Williams was well compensated for his day out, and he would not have even contemplated it but for the sizeable cheque.

“£22,500, I would never have gone if it was not for that money,” he said. “I knew I could not win, I knew I was going to lose to Neil Robertson, I had no problem with that. I picked up my £22,500, came home, see you later.”

Earlier in the week, he unveiled the start of his acting career – after posting a clip of a series he was handed a cameo on.

“(Steven) Spielberg was on the phone last night,” Williams quipped. “The Tuckers. You need to watch it. I have a little cameo. It was good.

“Steve Spiers, we get on, and he asked me to do a little cameo. You can’t turn him down. It was good fun.”

Williams suggested he took to it immediately, although admitted it was more nerve-racking than the day job.

”I think I was called one-take Willo all the time,” Williams said. “I did not have many words, but did not mess it up. We messed up a few times laughing and joking but it was good fun.

“It was horrible. I don’t have many words, but you have got to remember them and I was so far out of my comfort zone.”

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