Snooker: 2026 World Championships (The Crucible)

[Up the Junction]

Think it's worth a new thread for the sport's flagship event.

Qualifiers begin in early April - is there another Zhao ready to go from qualifier to Crucible champion?

Not long to go now...

For details of the rest of the season's events, including all winners, see this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=190847

[Up the Junction]

The top 16 seeds will be drawn at random against the 16 players who come through the qualifying rounds, which run from April 6-15 at the English Institute of Sport. The draw will take place around 8.45am on Thursday April 16th and you can listen on BBC Radio Five Live or watch on the BBC Sport website.

[ironilunga]

Out of curiosity I looked at the ticket prices for the qualifiers. I think they start at £12 for an entire day!! If I was in the UK I can think of much worse ways to spend a few days!!

I’m not sure any of the qualifiers will go deep this year. I do like a strong first round at the crucible though, so I’m hoping Ding, Carter and McGill make it. Any of the big boys have an off day and those three have the game to do some damage. I also hope Un-Nooh gets there. Great character and great when he brings his A game.

My winner this year? If not Xintong then I’ll go Selby.

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[Up the Junction]

Well this is embarrassing. Referee awards four-point foul to the wrong player.

Fortunately Yulu recovered to beat Womersley 10-7, and becomes the first female player to win a match at the World Championship in nine years.

[Up the Junction]

In other news, Jimmy White has fallen at the first hurdle - the 119th seed goes down 10-9 in a tiebreaker to Gao Yang (seeded 97).

[Up the Junction]

He won't win it this year (currently 8-1 up in QR1), but Lan is definitely shaping up as one for the future - one of several really exciting teenagers on the circuit right now.

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Mondays' and Tuesday's results from Round 1 of qualifying.

Two former World Champs already out, in Doherty and White, plus The Shootout champ Alfie Burden. Highest seed to fall so far is Mitchell Mann (81).

Number denotes seed, a=amateur and f=female

Robbie McGuigan [88] 10 - 8 Hammad Miah (a)
Michal Szubarczyk [96] 10 - 7 Ng On Yee (f) [120]
Wang Xinbo (a) 10 - 4 Mitchell Mann [81]
Peter Lines (a) 10 - 2 Jonas Luz [112]
Prin Ratmukda (a) w/o Alexander Ursenbacher [110]

Ian Burns [94] 10 - 6 Sahil Nayyar [121]
Bulcsu Revesz [86] 10 - 6 Craig Steadman (a)
Chris Totten [99] 10 - 5 Daniel Boyes (a)
Steven Hallworth [91] 10 - 6 Kreishh Gurbaxani [122]
Oliver Sykes (a) 10 - 4 Liam Graham [107]
Xu Yichen [102] 10 - 4 Stuart Carrington (a)
Marco Fu [83] 10 - 1 Mink Nutcharut (f) [117]
Dylan Emery [93] 10 - 9 nton Kazakov (a)
Vladislav Gradinari (a) 10 - 7 Reanne Evans (f) [101]
Ashley Carty (a) 10 - 9 Cheung Ka Wai [85]
Liam Pullen [84] 10 - 9 Alfie Burden (a)
Ross Muir [108] 10 - 5 Mykhailo Larkov (a)
Patrick Whelan (a) 10 - 5 Ken Doherty [100]
Connor Benzey [116] 10 - 6 Haris Tahir [92]
Mateusz Baranowski [109] 10 - 5 Florian Nüßle [118]
Bai Yulu (f) [105] 10 - 7 Daniel Womersley (a)
Gao Yang [97] 10 - 9 Jimmy White [119]
Yao Pengcheng [104] 10 - 9 Ryan Davies (a)
Leone Crowley [114] 10 - 5 Huang Jiahao [89]

[Up the Junction]

Final 1st qualifying round results - there are four qualifying rounds in all.

Number denotes seed, a=amateur and f=female

Monday 6 April
Robbie McGuigan [88] 10 - 8 Hammad Miah (a)
Michal Szubarczyk [96] 10 - 7 Ng On Yee (f) [120]
Wang Xinbo (a) 10 - 4 Mitchell Mann [81]
Peter Lines (a) 10 - 2 Jonas Luz [112]
Prin Ratmukda (a) w/o Alexander Ursenbacher [110]

Tuesday 7 April
Ian Burns [94] 10 - 6 Sahil Nayyar [121]
Bulcsu Revesz [86] 10 - 6 Craig Steadman (a)
Chris Totten [99] 10 - 5 Daniel Boyes (a)
Steven Hallworth [91] 10 - 6 Kreishh Gurbaxani [122]
Oliver Sykes (a) 10 - 4 Liam Graham [107]
Xu Yichen [102] 10 - 4 Stuart Carrington (a)
Marco Fu [83] 10 - 1 Mink Nutcharut (f) [117]
Dylan Emery [93] 10 - 9 nton Kazakov (a)
Vladislav Gradinari (a) 10 - 7 Reanne Evans (f) [101]
Ashley Carty (a) 10 - 9 Cheung Ka Wai [85]
Liam Pullen [84] 10 - 9 Alfie Burden (a)
Ross Muir [108] 10 - 5 Mykhailo Larkov (a)
Patrick Whelan (a) 10 - 5 Ken Doherty [100]
Connor Benzey [116] 10 - 6 Haris Tahir [92]
Mateusz Baranowski [109] 10 - 5 Florian Nüßle [118]
Bai Yulu (f) [105] 10 - 7 Daniel Womersley (a)
Gao Yang [97] 10 - 9 Jimmy White [119]
Yao Pengcheng [104] 10 - 9 Ryan Davies (a)
Leone Crowley [114] 10 - 5 Huang Jiahao [89]

Wednesday 8 April
Fergal Quinn [123] 10 - 4 Hatem Yassen [111]
Mark Lloyd (a) 10 - 3 Liu Wenwei [103]
Umut Dikme (a) 10 - 7 Farakh Ajaib [82]
Ashley Hugill (a) 10 - 4 David Grace [87]
Jamie Clarke (a) 10 - 5 Haydon Pinhey [95]
Liam Highfield [90] 10 - 4 Oliver Brown [115]
Zhao Hanyang [106] 10 - 3 Mahmoud El Hareedy [124]
Lan Yuhao [98] 10 - 5 Chatchapong Nasa [113]

[Up the Junction]

Crucible tickets dropped in the inbox today - good seats this year: Row D, central.

Give the KUMB boys (me and UtJ Jnr) a wave if you're watching the final session of the QFs on Tuesday 28th.

[Korea Hammer]

Currently 9 nil down to the lovable and charming Hossein Vafei, unfortunately

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Qualifying round 2 results:

Umut Dikme (a) 10 - 9 Sam Craigie [79]
Julien Leclercq [74] 10 - 7 Ashley Hugill (a)
Martin O'Donnell [55] 10 - 5 Zhao Hanyang [106]
Liam Highfield [90] 10 - 4 Wang Yuchen [71]
Fan Zhengyi [63] 10 - 3 Lan Yuhao [98]
Oliver Lines [58] 10 - 2 Mark Lloyd (a)
Long Zehuang [50] 10 - 2 Fergal Quinn [123]
Jordan Brown [67] 10 - 9 Ian Burns [94]
Oliver Sykes (a) 10 - 8 Lyu Haotian [54]
Allan Taylor [70] 10 - 6 Steven Hallworth [91]
Bulcsu Revesz [86] 10 - 8 Louis Heathcote [75]
Marco Fu [83] 10 - 9 Liam Davies [78]
Ishpreet Singh Chadha [62] 10 - 5 Chris Totten [99]
Liu Hongyu [59] 10 - 5 Xu Yichen [102]
Chang Bingyu [51] 10 - 2 Prin Ratmukda (a)
Ben Mertens [66] 10 - 0 Jamie Clarke (a)
Liam Pullen [84] 10 - 7 Amir Sarkhosh [77]
Dylan Emery [93] 10 - 6 Artemijs Zizins [68]
Peter Lines (a) 10 - 8 Scott Donaldson [49]
Ricky Walden [52] 10 - 4 Mateusz Baranowski [109]
Robbie Williams [53] 10 - 4 Ross Muir [108]
Patrick Whelan (a) 10 - 3 Robert Milkins [61]
Jiang Jun [76] 10 - 3 Ashley Carty (a)
Jamie Jones [60] 10 - 3 Vladislav Gradinari (a)
Leone Crowley [114] 10 - 5 Duane Jones [72]
Antoni Kowalski [69] 10 - 1 Connor Benzey [116]
Robbie McGuigan [88] 10 - 7 Gong Chenzhi [73]
Michal Szubarczyk [96] 10 - 8 Sanderson Lam [65]
Michael Holt [56] 10 - 4 Bai Yulu (f) [105]
Gao Yang [97] 10 - 6 Mark Davis [64]
Yao Pengcheng [104] 10 - 5 David Lilley [57]
Wang Xinbo (a) 10 - 4 Iulian Boiko [80]

Elsewhere, some big names have already fallen in third round - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (seeded 20th), Elliot Slessor (21), Joe O'Connor (28), Tom Ford (33) and Matthew Selt (37) are all out.

And we have our first 147 of the worlds - Chang Bingyu, who is currently facing former champion Lucas Brecel pockets at least £147,000 as a result.

[Up the Junction]

Qualifying round 3 results... some more big names falling, including Stephen Maguire (26th seed), Elliot Slessor (21), Joe O'Connor (28), Marco Fu (83).

Meanwhile the final remaining amateurs bid farewell to Sheffield, although Umut Dikme gave 18th seed Jack Lisowsk a right scare despite losing 10 - 7.

Anthony McGill [42] 10 - 9 Martin O'Donnell [55]
He Guoqiang [47] 10 - 8 Long Zehuang [50]
Ben Mertens [66] 10 - 9 Yuan Sijun [31]
Jack Lisowski [18] 10 - 7 Umut Dikme (a)
Liam Highfield [90] 10 - 5 Stephen Maguire [26]
Ali Carter [23] 10 - 5 Julien Leclercq [74]
Fan Zhengyi [63] 10 - 4 Jimmy Robertson [34]
Xu Si [38] 10 - 8 Liu Hongyu [59]
Ryan Day [35] 10 - 8 Ishpreet Singh Chadha [62]
Zhang Anda [22] 10 - 6 Bulcsu Revesz [86]
Luca Brecel [46] 10 - 8 Chang Bingyu [51]
Jak Jones [19] 10 - 6 Marco Fu [83]
Lei Peifan [30] 10 - 4 Jordan Brown [67]
Zak Surety [43] 10 - 3 Oliver Sykes (a)
Gary Wilson [27] 10 - 1 Allan Taylor [70]
Antoni Kowalski [69] 10 - 8 Joe O'Connor [28]
Pang Junxu [29] 10 - 9 Dylan Emery [93]
Jiang Jun [76] 10 - 7 Elliot Slessor [21]
Jackson Page [36] 10 - 6 Patrick Whelan (a)
Noppon Saengkham [45] 10 - 6 Ricky Walden [52]
Liam Pullen [84] 10 - 7 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh [20]
Stan Moody [44] 10 - 5 Robbie Williams [53]
Jamie Jones [60] 10 - 3 Matthew Selt [37]
Matthew Stevens [48] 10 - 8 Peter Lines (a)
Gao Yang [97] 10 - 8 Tom Ford [33]
Michael Holt [56] 10 - 5 Daniel Wells [41]
Hossein Vafaei [32] 10 - 2 Michal Szubarczyk [96]
Zhou Yuelong [24] 10 - 3 Robbie McGuigan [88]
David Gilbert [25] 10 - 3 Leone Crowley [114]
Aaron Hill [40] 10 - 3 Yao Pengcheng [104]
Stuart Bingham [17] 10 - 2 Wang Xinbo (a)

[Up the Junction]

All of which leaves judgement day/s looking as follows...

The winners of these ties will play a top 16 seed in the first round proper at The Crucible next week. Two former champions in Bingham and Brecel involved.

Stuart Bingham [17] v Matthew Stevens [48]
Hossein Vafaei [32] v Gao Yang [97]
Aaron Hill [40] v David Gilbert [25]
Michael Holt [56] v Zhou Yuelong [24]
Jiang Jun [76] v Stan Moody [44]
Antoni Kowalski [69] v Jamie Jones [60]
Jackson Page [36] v Pang Junxu [29]
Noppon Saengkham [45] v Liam Pullen [84]
Jak Jones [19] v Luca Brecel [46]
Lei Peifan [30] v Ryan Day [35]
Xu Si [38] v Gary Wilson [27]
Zak Surety [43] v Zhang Anda [22]
Ali Carter [23] v Anthony McGill [42]
Liam Highfield [90] v Woollaston / O Lines
Fan Zhengyi [63] v Ben Mertens [66]
He Guoqiang [47] v Jack Lisowski [18]

[Korea Hammer]

These final "Judgement Day matches are free and without adverts if you register with WST Play btw

Also available on the WST YouTube page, but with ads and, in my experience, annoying buffering.

Some great young players on the verge of qualification for Sheffield. Pulled and Moody from England, Kowalski from Poland and Aaron Hill from Ireland all in action tonight.

[Up the Junction]

Today's results: winners being three English players, two Chinese, one Welsh, one Iranian and the first ever Pole to reach the Crucible (Antoni Kowalski).

Also delighted to see 19-year-old Stan Moody make it to The Crucible for the first time - the first British teenager to qualify since Judd Trump in 2007, no less - after a right humdinger with Jiang Jun, whose last contribution was to smash his cue against the table after missing an easy yellow in the deciding frame which allowed Moody in.

84th seed Liam Pullen, a year Moody's senior will also appear for the first time - almost certainly now as the rank outsider - after edging past Noppon Saengkham.

Liam Pullen [84] 10 - 8 Noppon Saengkham [45]
Pang Junxu [29] 10 - 8 Jackson Page [36]
Stan Moody [44] 10 - 9 Jiang Jun [76]
David Gilbert [25] 10 - 6 Aaron Hill [40]
Antoni Kowalski [69] 10 - 8 Jamie Jones [60]
Matthew Stevens [48] 10 - 7 Stuart Bingham [17]
Zhou Yuelong [24] 10 - 4 Michael Holt [56]
Hossein Vafaei [32] 10 - 4 Gao Yang [97]

The final eight qualifying ties to take place tomorrow.

As for live coverage, you can also watch every qualifier via Huya and VLC.

Open a commend prompt on your PC (Windows key, type 'CMD', press Enter) and assuming you have VLC player installed, simple copy and paste the following link/s to view that particular table (make sure you c&p the whole line of text, it seems only part of the link is being parsed on here).

It will open VLC automatically with the stream you've selected.

Table 1
streamlink https://www.huya.com/20072620 best
Table 2
streamlink https://www.huya.com/20072621 best
Table 3
streamlink https://www.huya.com/18501408 best
Table 4
streamlink https://www.huya.com/18501324 best
Table 5
streamlink https://www.huya.com/17455465 best
Table 6
streamlink https://www.huya.com/18501329 best
Table 7
streamlink https://www.huya.com/18501166 best
Table 8
streamlink https://www.huya.com/17611732 best

[Up the Junction]

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Great to see Matthew Stevens qualify again after a few years absence

Never quite lived up to his potential back in the day

[Up the Junction]

Great to see Matthew Stevens qualify again after a few years absence

Agreed... just a shame it was at the expense of West Ham fan Bingham, who's had a poor season by his standards.

[Up the Junction]

Been a bad morning for my boy Lisowski - about to go 5-0 down against He. Surety also struggling, 4-1 behind to Zhang - as is LInes, 4-0 down to Highfield.

A coupe of belters that appear to be going all the way, Brecel/Jones (2-2) and Carter/McGill (2-3).