The World championship qualifiers starts with 128 players dreaming of walking out at snooker’s holy grail and after 3 sets of qualifying rounds there will 16 player’s left standing to join the top 16 player’s already seeded through to the Crucible.
It wasn’t only Crucible qualification at stake it was also tour survival for a handful of players and unfortunately we lost experience duo Peter Lines, and Rory Mcleod who had held his pro status for 24years without being relegated from snooker’s main stage and Q school now awaits both player’s if they are to regain their professional status.
Snookerfans.co.uk player Kurt Maflin made a positive start to his world championship qualifying campaign with a solid 10-3 victory over Mitchell Mann. Kurt stroked in 6 breaks of 50 or more including a magnificent break of 121 on route to victory and will now face Chinese amateur Pang Junxu for a place in the final qualifying round.
Former World champion Graeme Dott continued his fine form with a stunning 10-2 victory over Hamza Akbar. Dott raced into a 7-2 first session lead and wasted little time in the evening session winning the 3 frames required for victory. Graeme is showing some great break building form highlighted by his excellent break of 140 in frame six and will take some stopping in this form.
Matthew Stevens was in fine form against an over matched Thor Chaun Leong as he cruised to a 10-3 victory. Stevens twice a Crucible finalist stroked in 2 magnificent centuries on route to victory and will now face Chris Wakelin for a place in the final qualifying round.
First qualifying round results
Wednesday April 10
Round One
10am
Michael Georgiou 5-4 Lee Walker
Peter Ebdon 6-3 Harvey Chandler
Mei Xi Wen 8-1 Florian Nuessle
Yan Bingtao 6-3 Lukas Kleckers
Mark Joyce 7-1 Billy Joe Castle
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 8-1 Johnathan Bagley
Joe O’Connor 7-1 Joe Swail
Jimmy Robertson 9-0 Chen Feilong
Xiao Guodong 4-4 Jak Jones
Peter Lines 2-4 Michael Judge
Michael Holt 6-2 Brandon Sargeant
2.30pm
Gary Wilson 4-4 Sanderson Lam
Daniel Wells 5-4 Jamie Clarke
Hossein Vafaei 5-4 Zhang Anda
Gerard Greene 4-5 Aaron Hill
Martin Gould 9-0 Mostafa Dorgham
Andrew Higginson 2-7 James Cahill
Anthony Hamilton 5-2 James Wattana
Matthew Selt 6-3 Dylan Emery
Zhao Xintong 8-1 Adam Lilley
Noppon Saengkham 7-2 Adam Stefanow
7pm
Michael Georgiou 10-7 Lee Walker
Peter Ebdon 10-4 Harvey Chandler
Mei Xi Wen 10-3 Florian Nuessle
Yan Bingtao 10-3 Lukas Kleckers
Mark Joyce 10-2 Billy Joe Castle
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10-4 Johnathan Bagley
Joe O’Connor 10-1 Joe Swail
Jimmy Robertson 10-0 Chen Feilong
Xiao Guodong 10-5 Jak Jones
Peter Lines 9-10 Michael Judge
Michael Holt 10-5 Brandon Sargeant
Thursday April 11
Round One
10am
Dominic Dale 5-4 Chris Totten
Liang Wenbo 9-0 Basem Eltahhan
Rory McLeod 5-2 David Grace
Sunny Akani 6-2 Chen Zifan
Robert Milkins 6-3 Luke Simmonds
Duane Jones 7-2 Kishan Hirani
Anthony McGill 5-3 Ashley Hugill
Ricky Walden 5-4 Alfie Burden
Eden Sharav 3-6 David Lilley
Zhou Yuelong 4-5 Robin Hull
Liam Highfield 5-4 Hammad Miah
2.30pm
Gary Wilson 10-5 Sanderson Lam
Daniel Wells 10-5 Jamie Clarke
Hossein Vafaei 10-4 Zhang Anda
Gerard Greene 10-7 Aaron Hill
Martin Gould 10-0 Mostafa Dorgham
Andrew Higginson 9-10 James Cahill
Anthony Hamilton 10-9 James Wattana
Matthew Selt 10-3 Dylan Emery
Zhao Xintong 10-2 Adam Lilley
Noppon Saengkham 10-3 Adam Stefanow
7pm
Dominic Dale 10-5 Chris Totten
Liang Wenbo 10-0 Basem Eltahhan
Rory McLeod 8-10 David Grace
Sunny Akani 10-6 Chen Zifan
Robert Milkins 10-4 Luke Simmonds
Duane Jones 10-5 Kishan Hirani
Anthony McGill 10-8 Ashley Hugill
Ricky Walden 10-7 Alfie Burden
Eden Sharav 10-7 David Lilley
Zhou Yuelong 10-7 Robin Hull
Liam Highfield 10-7 Hammad Miah
Friday April 12
Round One
10am
Robbie Williams 5-4 Sam Baird
Marco Fu 3-6 Luo Honghao
Sam Craigie 7-2 Rhys Clark
Tom Ford 7-2 Ross Muir
Fergal O’Brien 6-3 Jackson Page
Mark Davis 5-3 Rod Lawler
Alexander Ursenbacher 2-6 Jordan Brown
Alan McManus 4-4 Ng On Yee
Martin O’Donnell 6-1 Adam Duffy
Zhang Yong 7-1 Reanne Evans
Joe Perry 8-1 Simon Lichtenberg
2.30pm
Li Hang 5-4 Niu Zhuang
Ian Burns 6-3 Farakh Ajaib
Ben Woollaston 5-4 Elliot Slessor
Mike Dunn 3-4 Nigel Bond
Ali Carter 8-1 Paul Davison
Jimmy White 6-3 Ross Bulman
Michael White 7-2 Andy Hicks
Yuan SiJun 4-5 John Astley
Lyu Haotian 6-3 Ashley Carty
Mark King 7-2 Igor Figueiredo
7pm
Robbie Williams 10-8 Sam Baird
Marco Fu 7-10 Luo Honghao
Sam Craigie 10-2 Rhys Clark
Tom Ford 10-3 Ross Muir
Fergal O’Brien 10-4 Jackson Page
Mark Davis 10-6 Rod Lawler
Alexander Ursenbacher 4-10 Jordan Brown
Alan McManus 10-6 Ng On Yee
Martin O’Donnell 10-6 Adam Duffy
Zhang Yong 10-2 Reanne Evans
Joe Perry 10-1 Simon Lichtenberg
Saturday April 13
Round One
10am
Ryan Day 6-3 Oliver Lines
Tian Pengfei 4-5 Soheil Vahedi
Matthew Stevens 6-3 Thor Chuan Leong
Chris Wakelin 6-3 Fan Zhengyi
Graeme Dott 7-2 Hamza Akbar
Xu Si 7-2 Sean O’Sullivan
Stuart Carrington 4-4 Pang Junxu
Kurt Maflin 7-2 Mitchell Mann
Lu Ning 7-2 Allan Taylor
Scott Donaldson 3-5 Craig Steadman
Ken Doherty 5-4 Andy Lee
2.30pm
Li Hang 10-5 Niu Zhuang
Ian Burns 10-7 Farakh Ajaib
Ben Woollaston 10-7 Elliot Slessor
Mike Dunn 7-10 Nigel Bond
Ali Carter 10-1 Paul Davison
Jimmy White 10-5 Ross Bulman
Michael White 10-4 Andy Hicks
Yuan SiJun 8-10 John Astley
Lyu Haotian 10-5 Ashley Carty
Mark King 10-4 Igor Figueiredo
7pm
Ryan Day 10-6 Oliver Lines
Tian Pengfei 10-5 Soheil Vahedi
Matthew Stevens 10-3 Thor Chuan Leong
Chris Wakelin 10-5 Fan Zhengyi
Graeme Dott 10-2 Hamza Akbar
Xu Si 10-2 Sean O’Sullivan
Stuart Carrington 6-10 Pang Junxu
Kurt Maflin 10-3 Mitchell Mann
Lu Ning 10-4 Allan Taylor
Scott Donaldson 10-8 Craig Steadman
Ken Doherty 10-8 Andy Lee
