Mark Williams became another big gun to crash out of the UK Championship on Monday night – but narrowly avoided a far more embarrassing fate on live TV.
The two-time UK winner suffering with a stomach upset was caught short just minutes into his first-round clash with Jamie Clarke at York’s Barbican Centre.
Williams, 47, threw his cue down and bolted out of the arena after potting the pink early in a break in the opening frame of the evening.
The three-time world champion went on to lose 6-3 to fellow Welshman, world No49 and qualifier Clarke with several subsequent toilet breaks.
Williams said afterwards: “I have felt better playing a snooker match but take nothing away from Jamie for his victory, he played well.
“I think it must have been food poisoning, I am hanging. I went out there with a pair of boxers on and by frame three they were gone – that’s all I can say.
“If it hadn't been the UK Championship I’m not sure I would have come back after the interval. When you are shaking like a left you’ve got no chance. Let’s go and find those boxers in a bin somewhere.”
Clarke, 28, scored the biggest win of his career against a boyhood idol that was also a first win in York, and will next face three-time UK winner Ding Junhui.
He said: “I have beaten an all-time great and a hero of mine growing up. I didn’t actually think while I was playing that maybe the worst thing that could happen to a snooker player on live TV might happen to Mark!
“There are all the cameras and it would have been embarrassing… but everyone’s human, he can’t help it and he had obviously had something bad to eat for the upset tummy.
“I think he managed to hold it together quite well. I could see he was in an uncomfortable state but I was really trying to win the match. Sometimes strange things can happen to you out there, feeling sick or whatever.
“But look it can happen to anyone, you eat something or got something to have the upset tummy. But it didn’t really put me off when he dashed out.
“I sympathised, if it was me I’d have wanted sympathy too if I was struggling. But in a strange way it helped me, gave me something else to think about.
“I was nervous before the match and a bit shaky at the start but winning the second frame settled me down. And it was job done and a very pleasing win and performance.
“I won an edgy one to get to 1-1 which gave me a lot of confidence when I could have been 2-0 down. When you’re playing the greats you get 2-0 or 3-0 down and it can quickly be over.
“It was a good atmosphere, it is very rare that I play and win in front of crowds over a top player so I enjoyed that atmosphere.
“If Mark had won he could have gone back to the hotel and might have felt better in a couple of days but it was certainly a big scalp for me.
Former Masters champion Mark Allen, commentating live on the BBC, said: “I saw Mark on a good run in practice the other day – and there he is on the run there out to the toilet.
“That’s a good start tonight! It’s not often you see this so early in the match, but he obviously had to go. Maybe it was a dodgy kebab for Mark, the ones he likes so much?”
Pundit and former Big Break host John Virgo, next to Allen in the booth, said: “We’ve only been out here five minutes! I just hope when he gets back he remembers…he’s on a red.”
Clarke asked referee Leo Scullion with a grin “Have I won?” and the official responded as he explained the legend’s plight: “I don’t think he’s completely went.”
Rival Eurosport commentator Neal Foulds said: “Where’s he gone? He’s disappeared! Goodness me, he’s only just started. I hope he’s all right.
“We did play once and [former pro] Gary Wilkinson made a 50 break that took about half an hour with three toilet breaks during the course of it. We were in Delhi, so you can work the rest out.”
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
