Mark Williams vs Wu Yize Preview & Prediction | 2025 World Snooker Championship | First Round

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A tantalising first-round encounter at the Crucible sees three-time world champion Mark Williams taken on emerging Chinese talent Wu Yize.

Start date/time: Saturday 19th April, 2025: UK – 2:30pm / US ET – 9:30am / US PT – 6:30am

How to watch on TV: UK – BBC & TNT Sports / US – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & discovery+ / US – Cannot be streamed

Tickets: Visit here for the latest ticket information

Mark Williams vs Wu Yize prediction

Three-time champion Mark Williams makes his 27th appearance at the World Snooker Championship off the back of a fairly mixed season.

The Welshman, who has been dealing with deteriorating eyesight over the last six months or so, has suffered a few early exits this season but has also experienced some highs, notably winning the Champion of Champions event in November.

One of the most exciting talents in the game, Wu Yize has made a real name for himself this season having made the final of both the English Open and the Scottish Open, while his second appearance at the Crucible comes courtesy of a thrilling 10-9 victory over Matthew Stevens in the final round of qualifying on Wednesday.

This has the potential to be one of the most thrilling first-round encounters and it would not be surprising to see this go close to the maximum number of frames.

Mark Williams vs Wu Yize tip: Over 16.5 frames