Williams could call it quits after Wembley woe

The Welshman, 32, surrendered a 2-0 lead at Wembley Arena yesterday in a 6-2 defeat against Ken Doherty for a first-round exit from the Saga Masters, a tournament he has also won twice.

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Considering his future: Williams has time to think after crashing out at Wembley

Like beaten veteran Steve Davis, Williams, who started the campaign ranked 12th, does not expect to be back in north London next season for the £460,000 invitation event centred on the world's top 16.

But unlike Davis, who has fought into his 51st year to maintain his status among the game's elite, Williams shudders at the harsh realities of next season's qualifying events.

Williams, who was world No 1 as recently as April 2004, admitted: "I can't see myself going back to Prestatyn for the qualifiers. I've been to see it. I thought Blackpool was bad but it's a different class. So who knows?

"If I drop out of the top 32 that would probably be it. I'd find plenty of other things to do. Watch a load of telly!

"I've got to have a good end of the season to give myself any chance of getting back into the top 32. It all depends on the next two or three months. Fingers crossed I can get a few good results."

In reality, Williams, who has won more than £3.6million in his career and has an expensive car habit to support as well as a wife and two sons, will probably only need one victory at The Crucible to make the cut.

The frustration for a player who slipped down to provisional 40th earlier this season stemmed from the fact that he did not play at all badly against Doherty, his victim in the 2003 world final at Sheffield.

Williams, who opened with a 118 break, said: "I'm disappointed because I didn't do a lot wrong. I felt quite good out there. I'm hitting the ball better but I'm getting the same results. It's a bit annoying really."

Dubliner Doherty, himself a former world champion and currently down in 16th place, struck some of his best form of the past two seasons and cited the birth of his son Christian last month as an inspiration.

Williams could do little but watch and fret as Doherty rattled off six frames in a row to book a quarter-final against yet another former Crucible champion in Shaun Murphy.

Doherty, whose third-frame 101 started his revival against the run of play, said: "It's nice to be playing to that standard again. What's been missing is a bit of confidence, it's good to have that back.

"Things looked a bit ominous but you have to believe in yourself and the century settled me down a bit."

Doherty, 38, and also under growing pressure from snooker's young guns — his last ranking title was in 2006 — was startled to hear former youth boxer Williams' provisional plan to throw in the towel.

He said: "We all have highs and lows. I've felt that low before, it does cross your mind sometimes. It must be frustrating to find himself where he is, quite shocking. But you keep grafting and have belief."