Things heat up at the English institute of sport

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