Mark Williams is hoping that competing on home soil this week
Mark Williams is hoping that competing on home soil this week at the Welsh Open will spark a much-needed improvement in his flagging fortunes.
The twice world champion from Cwm is enduring the worst slump of his career.
He has not lifted a trophy since the LG Cup in October 2003. Having been number one on the provisional world list last year, he has plummeted to 12th -placing his continued occupation of a top-16 place at the end of the season in jeopardy.
But the left-hander, recognised as the finest long potter in the game when in full flow, blames no one but himself.
"My results have been bad because I havenīt been practising enough. Itīs as simple as that. All of this is my own fault," he said.
"Iīve found motivation tough and I havenīt been working hard enough."
"Everybody knows you only get out of the game what you put into it. Thatīs been my problem."
Williams plumbed new depths in November when he lost 9-3 to Mark King in the last 32 of the UK Championship. But the manner in which he hammered Paul Hunter 5-1 in a Premier League fixture in Colchester on Thursday suggests a return to form could be imminent.
Having overwhelmed Hunter with a hat-trick of century breaks, Williams - who won the first of his 15 world ranking titles at the 1996 Welsh Open - has sights set on an equally impressive series of performances at the Newport Centre.
"Playing in my own backyard could be just the boost I need. The Welsh people always give me really great support, and I hope that will give me a springboard," he said.
"Of course the Welsh Openīs important to me because Iīm Welsh - but at the moment every tournament is important.
"I want a good run of results to get back to where I was. The longer this bad spell carries on the harder itīll be to fight back."
Williams, who plays Ali Carter or Adrian Gunnell in the last 32 of the yearīs first world ranking event on Wednesday, is not the only high-profile Welsh player treading water of late.
Matthew Stevens scooped 500,000 US dollars by triumphing in the recent Pacific Poker Open - but while the 2003 UK champion has clearly been playing his cards right, success on the snooker table has been in very short supply of late.
The 27 year-old from Carmarthen has lost his opening match in the seasonīs first three events, winning only five frames and losing 19.
Since winning the UK Championship 14 months ago, Stevens has lost eight consecutive matches contested over the best of nine or 11 frames.
Stevens opens his Welsh Open campaign with a best-of-nine match against King or Steve James.
Ronnie OīSullivan, who dramatically rallied from 8-5 down to beat veteran Steve Davis 9-8 in last yearīs final, launches his title defence against Ian McCulloch or Finlandīs number one Robin Hull - while Stephen Hendry, the Welsh Open champion a record three times, starts out against Stuart Bingham or Stephen Maguire.
Henryīs ex-practice partner Maguire could hardly have been more convincing en route to lifting the UK trophy two months ago.
