Williams - in charge against Doherty.
WILLIAMS WINNING MIND GAMES
By John Curtis, PA Sport
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Mark Williams is on course to win his second Embassy World Championship title later today
- thanks to a helping hand from self-confessed "amateur psychologist" Terry
Griffiths.
Griffiths, the 1979 world champion and one of snooker's top coaches, has been
working with Williams this season as he looked to return to his best form after,
by his high standards, a modest 2001-2002 campaign.
Ironing out any technical faults has been only a minor part of Griffiths
involvement with the 2000 world champion - plus Stephen Hendry with whom he has
enjoyed the same professional relationship for the past two years.
Making sure that Williams has been in the correct mental frame of mind for the
battles on the green baize has been the significant part of the partnership.
Griffiths describes himself as "someone for Mark to lean on" and "half a
dad, half a friend, half a coach" but whatever the concoction it is definitely
paying dividends.
Williams has been back to his best this season, regaining his number one spot
in the world rankings and in total control of his world final with Ken Doherty
as he holds an 11-5 lead after two of the possible four sessions.
Williams won the opening session 7-1 - the same scoreline as his semi-final
romp over Stephen Lee - and he came out on top in three of the opening four
frames in the evening with the aid of breaks of 118 and 101.
Doherty showed his mettle by claiming three of the last four frames but a
comeback which would even surpass his recovery to beat Paul Hunter in the
semi-finals is required.
Griffiths told PA Sport: "There is some technical stuff with Mark but I would
say that accounts for maybe one or two per cent.
"What I see my job is about is getting them (Williams and Hendry) prepared
properly mentally. I am always there when they need me - if anything is not
right with practising and during tournaments.
"With Mark I will go with him before he starts a match, at the mid-session
interval. I have to try and assess if he is feeling good, bad or indifferent and
try and help him.
"I relate it to my own career. I look back and I would have just loved to
have somebody to talk to. I had my dad and friends - but the people you don't
listen to in life are your dad and friends!
"With Mark and Stephen, I'm half a dad, half a friend, half a coach. I'm a
great believer in facing up to what is in front of you and recognising what you
are going to do about it.
"Just talking can really help. Talk is a great gift in life and talking
sometimes is enough. If I feel Mark is relaxed, I'll just talk to him. If I feel
he is not right I'll say 'let's go and have a knock-up for five minutes.
"I've got to try and assess his mind in a very short time. I don't always get
it right - but I do a lot of the time partly because of my own experiences.
"That's all it is. I either try to motivate them or get them to relax. In a
nutshell it is preparing Mark - and Stephen - to go out and face the fire. I
look upon myself as an amateur psychologist."
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