Adam Williams presents his prediction for the Players Championship match.
Mark Williams and Ding Junhui will face each other in the first round of the Players Championship. Kyren Wilson and Mark Allen are also in this section of the draw, so every player has a good chance of reaching the semi-finals.
Mark Williams
Mark Williams won the prestigious Champion of Champions this season, beating Xiao Guodong (10:6) in the final. Williams did not receive ranking points for this victory, as the tournament was an invitational event. His best achievement in ranking tournaments this season was reaching the final of the Saudi Arabian Masters, where he lost to Judd Trump (10:9) in a deciding frame. In 2025, Williams played five matches, winning only one – a 4:1 victory over Florian Nüssle at the Welsh Open. At the World Grand Prix, Mark lost to Stuart Bingham (4:2), and before that, he suffered defeats against Stephen Maguire and Aaron Hill. Williams will find it difficult to reach the final, although, on the other hand, we have seen how inspired he can be when playing without pressure.
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is in a different situation – he has played under pressure throughout his entire career. There have always been high expectations for Ding to deliver results, particularly to win the World Championship. However, with several Chinese players now in the top 16, Ding remains the most experienced among them. This season, he won the International Championship, which was enough to qualify for the World Grand Prix. Although Ding has played only a few matches this season, this may be part of his preparation for the World Championship.
Mark Williams vs Ding Junhui Prediction
This will be a match between one player competing with no real pressure and another who is highly motivated to win. Williams and Ding met three months ago at the Masters, where Ding won in a deciding frame (6:5). A similar scenario is very possible in this encounter. Both players are guaranteed a place in the Tour Championship, and neither is considered a favourite to win the Players Championship, which could allow them to play with more freedom. We expect an entertaining match that could end with either player winning 6:4.
