Gwent's Mark Williams named top performer of 2024
Three-time world champion Williams only made it to the last 32 at the Crucible this year, but he did win the 2024 Tour Championship, the 2023 Macau Masters and the 2023 British Open, as well as reaching the final of the 2023 Championship League.
'I think Mark Williams has been putting in more good performances than any player,' said seven-time world champion O'Sullivan.
'I'm either good or bad, but Mark Williams is just consistent. Any snooker player would tell you, you just want that. If you've got that, you've got it. All that up and down business is no good to nobody.
'Mark Williams is not throwing the kitchen sink at it; he's just turning up, hitting balls. He's focused and he's fancying clearing up before he's even potted a ball.'
Williams made it through to the second of this year's Championship League as the 2024-2025 snooker season kicked off in Leicester this week.
Michael White became the fourth Welshman to reach the last 32 of the tournament by topping Group 23 on seven points at the season's first ranking event.
After compatriots Williams, Ryan Day and Matthew Stevens reached the second phase of the season's first ranking event, White showed his quality to edge out former UK champion Stephen Maguire with a 2-2 draw.
White hit breaks of 122 and 94 in a 3-0 win over Ryan Davies before completing a 3-0 win over Dean Young boosted by knocks of 83, 74 and 98.
Needing a point to progress against Maguire, White compiled a 59 in the second frame to move 2-0 clear with the Scotsman running in 111 and 54 of his own to finish third in the section, a point behind runner-up Davies and two adrift of White.
Elsewhere on Thursday, local favourite Joe O'Connor also advanced by winning Group 22 courtesy of a win over Oliver Lines (3-1) and two draws with Harvey Chandler (2-2) and Aaron Hill (2-2) respectively.
O'Connor's 130 break in his 2-2 draw with Chandler was key to edging out Irishman Hill after the leading duo finished on identical records on five points from three fixtures.
Stage one at the Mattioli Arena consists of 32 groups of four players before the 32 group winners split into eight further groups.
The eight group winners contest a further two groups with the winners meeting in the final.
There is £33,000 on the table for the winner plus a spot in the Champion of Champions later in the year which is worth another £12,500 for qualifying.
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