Mark Williams PUNCHES cue in World Snooker Championship frustration before passing it into the front row

Mark Williams' World Snooker Championship campaign was marked by a moment of frustration as he punched his cue and then handed it to a spectator, before being knocked out of the tournament.

The 49 year old Welsh snooker star began his stint at the Crucible with a match against the formidable Si Jiahui on Tuesday. Williams initially took a narrow lead of 5-4, but Jiahui managed to reverse his fortunes, advancing to a 7-5 lead. Williams' irritation was palpable when he found himself 58 points behind with only 59 remaining on the table. After failing to sink a crucial pot to the middle, Williams vented his anger by striking his cue.

In an unexpected gesture, Williams, while heading back to his seat, offered his cue to a fan seated in the front row of the Sheffield venue. Unfortunately for Williams, he couldn't bounce back from this setback, and Jiahui went on to cause an upset, defeating him 10-9.

Commenting on BBC Two, Dennis Taylor remarked: "Mark was not at his best but you can't take anything away from Si Jiahui. It's been a very entertaining match. He's a very modest boy but he's played brilliantly.", reports the Daily Star.

Reflecting on the match during his post-match press conference, Williams conceded: "I didn't play well all the way through the match, but I was playing well at the end. That's one of the best breaks you will see under pressure and if he can do that more regularly then he is a future world champion."

"He definitely has the potential to win the world championship. Whether it's this year, who knows, it will be tough." Williams joins the list of top seeds to make an early exit in the opening round, including Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, Ali Carter, Gary Wilson, and Zhang Anda.