'It felt like I was playing with someone else’s arms' says frustrated Mark Williams

The two-time former world champion edged a final-frame decider to beat China’s Lyu Chenwei and book a meeting with Rod Lawler tonight.

But after securing a 4-3 victory in the Welsh capital, Williams gave a blunt assessment of the way he played, insisting that he was lucky to still be in the competition.

When asked for his view of the match, he said: “I’m better off saying nothing. That was just poor, very poor.

“I should be out really. If I play anything like that again I’m out in the next round, so it’s not really going to make that much difference.

“The balls were scrappy, and in a lot of the frames the balls were on the cushion, but overall it was probably one of the worst performances I’ve put in.

“He didn’t play very well either, he was terrible as well. He potted a few good long balls but he only needed a bit of composure in the last frame towards the end and he definitely would have beaten me.”

Williams reached the semi-finals of the same event last year, but if he plays against Lawler like he did yesterday then he knows a run to the last four again won’t be on the cards.

“I can play well on times but I’m always going to throw something like that in, or maybe a couple of games like that, and that’s why I’m not as consistent as I was,” he added.

“I’m not really doing that well. I’m winning the odd match here and there, but overall it’s not great.

“It’s frustrating because I’m playing alright in practice and then I pull out a performance like that.

“It felt like I was playing with someone else’s arms.”

Williams’s fellow Welshmen Ryan Day, Daniel Wells and Michael White progressed to the second round, although Duane Jones, Lee Walker and Jamie Jones fell at the first hurdle.

Scotland’s Stephen Maguire, the winner three years ago, suffered a shock 4-3 defeat to Martin O’Donnell, but Ding Junhui, the champion in 2012, eased through.