Mark Williams, the accomplished Welsh snooker player, has advanced to the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship after edging past John Higgins in a tense and memorable quarter-final encounter at The Crucible. Despite his decorated status in the sport, Williams has openly voiced his reservations about constantly being grouped with Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan under the now-familiar ‘Class of ’92’ label, revealing both respect for his peers and a discomfort with the ongoing comparisons.
In a candid interview with SportsBoom, Williams expressed his mixed feelings about the perennial association with Higgins and O’Sullivan, who, along with Williams himself, all turned professional in 1992. While the trio’s lasting influence on the sport is often celebrated in the media and amongst fans, Williams admitted he is uneasy with the link, suggesting he is not alone. “I’ve never really liked it,” Williams stated. “I’ve always said that those two are the best players in the world ever. Ronnie, by far the best, and John as the second-best for me,” he remarked, highlighting his admiration for their talents.
Williams’ humility was evident as he continued, “I don’t really like being classed with them because I think they’re much higher than me.” He speculated that O’Sullivan, in particular, might be growing tired of the constant comparison, given his record-breaking achievements and dominance within the sport.
The statistics bear out Williams’ thoughtful assessment. Between them, O’Sullivan, Higgins, and Williams have amassed an extraordinary total of 100 ranking titles, 39 Triple Crown wins, and 14 world championships. Of the trio, O’Sullivan’s record stands apart: the Englishman boasts seven world titles, 41 ranking event victories, and 23 Triple Crown trophies, putting him on par with snooker legends such as Stephen Hendry.
Reflecting further on the dynamic within this iconic group, Williams commented, “I think Ronnie’s probably the one who should be upset with the Class of ’92 because he’s so far ahead of me and John. He probably gets sick of being in the Class of ’92, because he’s in his own class.” However, Williams acknowledged that labels like these are difficult to shake, even if they don’t fully capture the distinctions between players at the highest level. “But, you know, people like mentioning the Class of ’92, and I can’t get away from it,” he conceded.
As on the baize, life for Williams doesn’t get any easier. In the semi-final round, he found himself up against Judd Trump and suffered a series of costly mistakes that enabled Trump to pull ahead with a 5-3 lead, despite not being at his imperious best. The session was marked by uncharacteristic errors on both sides, but it was a missed black by Williams in the eighth frame that allowed Trump to seize a crucial advantage going into the next phase.
Elsewhere in the competition, Ronnie O’Sullivan demonstrated his typical flair and resilience. Facing first-time semi-finalist Zhao Xintong, O’Sullivan found himself locked in a 4-4 stalemate after the first session of their contest. Zhao made an early impression by clinching the first two frames and later compiled the highest break of the match, but O’Sullivan used all his experience to draw level, including a run of three consecutive frames—one of which saw him deny his opponent the chance to score for almost 34 minutes.
O’Sullivan’s class and tenacity are just some of the reasons he is often acclaimed as the greatest player the sport has ever seen, further justifying Williams’ remarks about the gulf between even the best of his generation.
With the World Championship reaching its climax, all eyes remain on snooker’s elite, whether or not they relish the labels applied to them. As Williams himself recognises, such tags may not always sit comfortably with the individuals concerned, but they form an undeniable part of the sport’s narrative—and its ongoing fascination for fans.