dismiss a snooker tournament loss with a shrug of the shoulders and a laugh and a joke. The Cwm maestro rocketed to world champion and world number one because his prestigious talent was so natural. But suddenly his red-hot game turned cold and the man who seemingly do no wrong was having problems.

Williams kept on and on setting new records for winning his first round matches at world ranking events - he has not lost an opening match in four years.

However, it was the stages after those initial ties which caused self doubt. His drought without a ranking title after winning the Embassy World Championships in 2000 seemed to be lasting a lifetime.

Initially, it was just a loss of form but later it dawned on the Gwent player that someone was wrong.

He was still ranked the second best player on the planet but being bridesmaid was not good enough.

He needed help and 1979 world champion Terry Griffiths, now one of the game's top coaches, was just the man.

Griffiths got Williams' mind back together and the rewards came last month with victory in the UK Championships, the 27-year-old's first ranking tournament win on British soil for over two years.

Now Williams is out to add another and win his third Regal Welsh title this week.

And Griffiths reckons: "Mark is playing the best snooker in the world at the moment. He won his last tournament which makes him the best player on the circuit now."

But Williams realises he owes a debt to the man from Llanelli, saying: "But for Terry, I don't think I would have won that final. He has helped me get my head sorted out and I owe him a big thank-you.

"He has stopped me from getting down on myself and helped me stay positive. Terry has been with me at the last two tournaments and my form has been 100 per cent better than during the last 12 months.

"A lot of people thought I had gone - but I'm far from gone."

As for a Regal Welsh hat-trick, he added: "I was only dreaming a few years ago that I could win it at all and I have a chance to win it for a third time now."

But other players are right on the Gwent man's tail.

Steve Davis, right back in the groove after a number of lean years himself, is after his third Regal Welsh victory as is seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry, who is due another win after taking the initial crown in 1992 and a second in 1997.

Reigning Crucible king Peter Ebdon and 'Rocket' Ronnie O'Sullivan have never even reached the final but are out to change that this year.

And one of Williams' biggest obstacles may come from Leeds' Paul Hunter.

The Englishman won the Welsh as a 17-year-old at Newport Centre, then played back-to-back finals against Ken Doherty over the past two years, losing in 2001 9-2 but achieving revenge 12 months later.

Hunter said: "I'm not sure why I always seem to play well in Wales. There was a bit of extra motivation for me to win last year because Ken thumped me in the previous final.

"My first target was to get more than two frames on the board in that match but I took a good lead early and went on from there."

And the former Benson and Hedges Masters champion has sent out another warning to potential heirs to his crown, adding: "This year has been a really good one for me.

"I'm enjoying practice a lot more and I am always up for it in matches.

"My break-building has always been good but I have definitely improved my all-round game."