Round three of the 2022 World Championship Qualifiers started yesterday and already there were surprises. This is the report by WST:

Taylor Topples Top Seed Walden

Allan Taylor is one win away from securing his Crucible debut after beating top Betfred World Championship qualifying seed Ricky Walden 6-4 at the English Institute of Sport.

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World number 80 Taylor is battling for his tour survival this week and required a gutsy clearance to defeat Michael Judge 6-5 on the final black in the second round to avoid a certain trip to Q School. Today’s victory all but seals Taylor’s safety by virtue of his position on the one-year-list.

The Liverpudlian will now face Scott Donaldson on Judgement Day, who defeated Li Hang 6-5 on the final black. It will be the first time that Taylor has reached the final qualifying round, while Donaldson tasted success in this event back in 2019 when he earned his first Crucible appearance.

Defeat will act as a bitterly disappointing way for world number 17 Walden to end what has otherwise been a fine season. The three-time ranking event winner made four semi-finals and two further quarter-finals in a campaign which saw him get back closer to his best form. However, he will rue the fact that he even needed to qualify for the final stages this week.

A gut-wrenching defeat to Kyren Wilson in the semi-finals of the recent Gibraltar Open prevented Walden from securing an automatic Crucible spot by breaking into the top 16. Had he won the event, he would have also qualified for the Tour Championship as well as earning a bumper £150,000 series bonus.

A crucial moment in today’s tie came in the seventh frame. Taylor required a snooker on the blue and got it. He then proceeded to take out a tricky three-ball clearance, which was started with a superb long range blue. As a result, Taylor pulled within one at 4-3.

The 37-year-old drew level at 4-4 courtesy of a 74 break and then added a third on the bounce to move one from the win at 5-4. He swallowed up his chance and crafted a run of 59 to emerge a 6-4 victor.

Taylor said: “It means a lot to beat a player like Ricky. I came here knowing I needed to get wins. I respect Ricky as a human being and as well as a snooker player. I knew I’d have to work hard at some point in the game to have a chance of putting him away.

“I was staring 5-2 in the face and I found something deep down. I thought that if it was my last poke I had to work hard for it. I got level at 4-4 and it was game on from there.

“You can see what it means to the lads walking out at the Crucible as a debutant. Hopefully I can go one match further. What it would mean would be total security. I am over the moon to be in Judgement Day. It is a fact of life that there is a best of 19 between me and the Crucible. I just have to knuckle down and try to get to 10 first.”

Stephen Maguire secured his place in the final qualifying round with a 6-3 defeat of China’s Zhang Jiankang. The Scot composed breaks of 108 and 100 on his way to victory.

He is aiming to extend a run of consecutive Crucible appearances which extends back to 2003. He faces Zhou Yuelong on Judgment Day, who defeated Zhang Anda 6-5 this evening.

Jordan Brown edged out 15-year-old amateur Liam Davies 6-5 with the clock well beyond midnight. Davies, who earlier this week became the youngest match winner in World Championship history, once again showed his considerable potential. However, it is Brown who progresses to the final round where he will face Michael White, who thrashed Mark King 6-1

Germany’s Simon Lichtenberg kept his hopes of tour survival alive with a 6-4 win over Wu Yize in their second round encounter. He will now face Iran’s Hossein Vafaei for a Judgement Day spot.

Lichtenberg is likely to need to reach the Crucible to retain his professional status, but he was at the top of his game this morning. Breaks of 60, 61, 73, 60 and 71 helped him on his way to the win.

Welshman Jamie Clarke dramatically won on the final pink to virtually secure his tour survival, beating WSF Open champion Si Jiahui 6-5.

When he potted the winning shot he roared out with joy and could be heard from the other side of the venue. It was two years ago that Clarke qualified for the Crucible remain on the professional circuit at the 2020 World Championship. He’s two games away from a return to the Theatre of Dreams and faces Gary Wilson up next.

It is indeed a very disappointing end of the season for Ricky. He will be gutted. But huge credit to “Pretzel” Allan Taylor: he did what he had to do and didn’t surrender to the highest of pressure.

Liam Davies definitely impressed. He’s only 15 but is very mature and masters all aspects of the game. He’s a much more complete player than some who are on tour and several years older than him. He works with Lee Walker. Lee might not be a top player himself, but he’s definitely a first class coach. He’s also a great person: when the first disability snooker event was held in Wales, Lee and Michael White traveled a long way to pay it a visit and both had time for everyone.

Speaking of Michael White, he’s obviously put the work in and seems to be back to form. I would be great to see him back where he belongs: on the main Tour.

Jamie Clarke’s roar attracted a lot of criticism on social media. It was a pure emotional reaction. It was sheer relief after a huge battle, a win he needed to keep his hopes alive to stay on tour. It was in no way aimed at his opponent. The only issue I have with this is that it might have disturbed someone on a crucial shot on another table. It was that loud. Having said that, David Grace had a similar reaction after beating Iulian Boïko and, as far as I’m aware, no one said anything about it.

I didn’t see anything from the Simon Lichtenberg performance but I’m well pleased for him and… to be honest surprised. I didn’t expect him to get this far. Well done Simon!

I must admit that yesterday was a sad day for me. So many players I got to know and like lost their professional status and it’s not over yet…

Here is WST report on day 5:

Vital Win For Stevens

Former Masters and UK Champion Matthew Stevens significantly boosted his position in the race to stay on the tour thanks to a 6-1 thrashing of Gerard Greene in the second qualifying round of the Betfred World Championship.

Stevens has been ever present on the circuit since 1994 but came into the qualifiers in Sheffield in danger of relegation. Today’s result helps his cause and the Welshman’s performance was encouraging as he made breaks of 56, 60, 51, 59 and 94 in a comfortable victory, setting up a tie against Sam Craigie.

Elliot Slessor’s 6-0 thrashing of Ian Burns was also crucial to his tour survival hopes and it was one of the performances of the day as he knocked in breaks of 50, 71, 60, 135 and 57. “I knew what I needed to do today,” said Slessor, who now meets Anthony Hamilton. “It has been a terrible few months for me but I have got my head down and worked really hard for this. If I can guarantee my ranking and stay in the top 64 then I am a very dangerous player, because I’ll feel like I have nothing to lose, and I have been to the Crucible before.”

Oliver Lines eased to a 6-1 win over Peter Devlin while Chris Wakelin top scored with 121 in a 6-2 success over Jamie Wilson.

Iulian Boiko saw his hopes of becoming the first Ukrainian to play at the Crucible end as he lost 6-4 to David Grace. Boiko made a 108 to level at 4-4, but Grace won a scrappy ninth frame then clinched victory in the tenth with an excellent long pot on the final black.

Amateur Daniel Wells came from 2-0 down to beat Andrew Higginson 6-4 with a top break of 103, which means former Welsh Open finalist Higginson will have to go to Q School to keep his tour card.

James Cahill, who beat Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible in 2019, came from 5-3 down to beat Mark Davis 6-5, compiling runs of 73, 62 and 62 in the last three frames.

Amongst those who lost their tour card yesterday is Nigel Bond who was the only remaining professional who started his career in the 80th and stayed on the tour for 33 years without interruption and without the help of a wilcard. Following yesterday’s defeat Nigel announced his retirement.

WST paid tribute to his dedication and contribution to the sport.

Nigel Bond Announces Retirement

Nigel Bond, one of snooker’s most dedicated professionals for more than three decades, has announced his retirement from the top level of the sport.

Former British Open champion and Crucible finalist Bond lost 6-1 to Lukas Kleckers in the Betfred World Championship on Thursday evening. That result meant he was relegated from the World Snooker Tour and he has decided not to try to retain his pro status via Q School.

That brings to an end an outstanding record for Chesterfield’s Bond as he was the only player to have turned pro in the 1980s and kept his place on the tour until now, without needing a wild card.

He said: “Last night was not quite the ending I was hoping for, losing in the World Championship qualifiers. I would like to wish Lukas the best of luck in the next round. Even though I know this time has been coming, today still feels a bit of a shock! At 56, my time as a main tour professional is at an end and I have no intention of playing Q School.

“After 33 years of being a professional player, today is a sad day as snooker has been my life. The last few years have been increasingly difficult when you don’t perform to the standard required. I feel very grateful to have been able to make a career out of my passion. I have had the privilege of traveling the world and meeting the most amazing people. I would like to thank you all for your support and generosity and continuing friendship.

“On a more positive note I’m not putting away my cue any time soon. I will be competing in the World Seniors Championship next month at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. I will continue with my coaching both privately and my involvement with the WPBSA Coaching courses, hoping to impart my knowledge and passion to others who share the love of the game. My role as a WPBSA Players Board director will continue for another three years.

“Once again I’d like to thank you all and for snooker for giving me a life I could only have dreamed of when I first picked up a cue!”

Bond turned pro in 1989 and reached the final of the Grand Prix the following year.

With the World Seniors Championship trophy in 2012

In 1995 the player nicknamed 00-147 reached the final of the World Championship, beating Stephen Lee, Alan McManus, Gary Wilkinson and Andy Hicks at the Crucible before losing 18-9 to Stephen Hendry.

A year later he won his only ranking title at the British Open in Plymouth, beating John Higgins 9-8 by taking a dramatic deciding frame in which he was 69-0 down. He was also a semi-finalist at the Crucible and climbed to number five in the world.

Bond won the Scottish Masters in 1997, the inaugural Shoot Out in 2011 and the World Seniors title in 2012.

As recently as 2019 he proved he can still compete with the best as he knocked Judd Trump out of the UK Championship and reached the quarter-finals at the age of 54, narrowly missing out on the semis after a 6-5 defeat to Mark Allen.

WST congratulate Nigel on a fantastic career as a player and a fine ambassador for the sport. We wish him many happy years of coaching and passing on his experience to others.

I’m wishing Nigel the very best in whatever he wishes to do in the future.

Fergal O’Brien, Ken Doherty and Andrew Higginson are three other long-standing professionals who face relegation. Andrew losing his tour card was a shock to many who expressed sympathy and sorrow at seeing him possibly end his career. Andrew is a lovely man and I hope he can take some solace and courage in reading all those messages. Fergal absolutely loves his snooker and already plays on the Seniors Tour. The same is true for Ken Doherty.

Ashley Carty who qualified for the Crucible only two years ago is also losing his tour card. That’s how brutal the current system is.

Iulian Boïko also dropped off the tour. He put up a trememdous fight against David Grace. He played really well over the last weeks. He was far too young coming on the tour, especially as an expat. He needed more time to develop and adapt, but if he can keep the level he showed recently he has every chance in the Q-school.

As for Matthew Stevens he played the way we all know he can but we have rarely seen in recent years for a whatever reason.

The second round of the qualifiers continued yesterday at the EIS bringing relief for some, heartbreak for others. Here is WST report on the day:

Un-Nooh And Holt Boost Survival Hopes

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Michael Holt both won their opening matches in the qualifying rounds of the Betfred World Championship to strengthen their hopes of avoiding relegation from the pro circuit.

Thailand’s Un-Nooh and Nottingham’s Holt have both won the Shoot Out in recent years, but poor form over the past two seasons has seen them drop into the danger zone in the tour survival race. But wins tonight in the second qualifying round in Sheffield have helped their cause.

Un-Nooh saw off Andrew Pagett 6-4 in a high quality match which featured four centuries. From 3-0 down, Pagett took the next two frames with a top run of 122, before Un-Nooh made a 137 in frame six, missing the final black for a 144 which would have been the highest break of the event so far.

Welshman Pagett then fired 116 and 100 for 4-4, only for Un-Nooh to take the last two frames with 90 and 54. He now plays Jak Jones.

“I have to fight for everything – for my tour card, for my family,” said Un-Nooh. “My family is in my head when I am down on a shot.”

Holt scored breaks of 56, 63, 77, 67 and 54 in an impressive 6-1 win over Hammad Miah as he set up a third round match with Tom Ford – another tie which could be vital to his survival.

“I was a bit nervy,” admitted Holt. “I was a bit lucky as well, I had the run of the balls. I know the position I am in and I have got to win. That has taken the doubt out of my mind. Being a pro has been a massive part of my life for a long time so to drop off the tour would be a disaster.”

Nigel Bond is the only player to have turned pro in the 1980s and kept his place on the tour until now, without needing a wild card. But the 1995 Crucible finalist will have to go to Q School to maintain his pro status as he lost 6-1 to Germany’s Lukas Kleckers.

Amateur Michael White scored a 6-2 win over Martin O’Donnell while Ashley Hugill top scored with 84 in a 6-0 whitewash over Dean Young.

One match that isn’t mentioned is the encounter between Sunny Akani and Zhang Jiankang. Zhang won it by 6-4 and this means that Sunny is losing his tour card and will need the Q-school. Sunny was 5-0 down in this match and fought with all he had. He was one ball away to force a decider…  The bad start cost him. I’m really sad and sorry for Akani because long covid hit him very hard, ruined his season and probably his perparation as well. He’s a very hard worker and a lovely person. I really hope that he can bounce back immediately.

Yesterday’s results mean relegation for Sunny Akani, Martin O’Donnell, Nigel Bond, Fergal O’Brien and Lee Walker. They also propelled Ashley Hugill at the top of the 4-men one year rescue list.

The first round of qualifiers for the 2022 Crucible finished yesterday.

Here is the report by WST on the last batch of first round matches:

Boiko Scores First World Championship Win

Ukrainian 16-year-old Iulian Boiko won his first ever Betfred World Championship match, defeating Cypriot Michael Georgiou 6-4 in the first round of qualifying at the English Institute of Sport.

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Boiko became the youngest ever player to compete in the World Championship, when he made his debut back in 2020 at the age of 14. His first win in the event this year earns him a second round tie against David Grace on Friday.

He turned professional at the start of the 20/21 campaign after being runner-up at the WSF Open. Having spent two seasons on the circuit, he is likely to need to reach the Crucible to retain his tour card.

Boiko got off to a tremendous start this afternoon and led 4-1, before being pegged back. Former Shoot Out champion Georgiou took three on the bounce to draw level at 4-4. However, back-to-back breaks of 61 and 100 saw Boiko over the line in style.

Following the match, he said that he hoped the result would would act as some source of happiness for people in Ukraine, amid the horrific scenes with the ongoing war in his home country

Boiko said: “It has been very tough times for us with the war. I hope I made some people happier today. I think I have played a brilliant match. I am very happy to get the win and I hope I will have the momentum for the next round.

“The last frame was really very nervy for me. Michael had a couple of chances in the last frame and didn’t manage to get a good run. I was really nervous, but composed at the same time. It was one of my best breaks and it was my highest break on the main tour.”

European Under-21 champion Dylan Emery scored an impressive 6-0 whitewash win over Mitchell Mann.

Following his European title, Welshman Emery will be competing as a professional from next season. The 21-year-old showed his potential today and the comprehensive win earns him a second round tie with Gao Yang.

Jackson Page secured another impressive win for the Welsh contingent, thrashing Sean O’Sullivan 6-1 to progress. The 20-year-old fired in contributions of 103, 65, 69 and 68 during the rout. Page faces Ashley Carty up next.

Si Jiahui defeated Zak Surety 6-4 to book a second round tie with Jamie Clarke. Defeat for Surety sends him to Q School, while amateur Si will be on the professional tour next year by virtue of his recent win at the WSF Open.

China’s Lei Peifan made breaks of 74, 72 and 71 on his way to a 6-0 win over Liverpudlian Sean Maddocks. Next up for 18-year-old Lei is a second round meeting with Stuart Carrington, while Maddocks loses his professional status and will now head to Q School.

This morning Iulian came on social media, thanking Vic Snooker Academy for their support and excellent facilities.

At the time of writing, there is no report on yesterday’s evening matches. Those were the first four second round matches. The second round is the one that is critical for so many players in danger to lose their tour card.

There were wins for Scott Donaldson and Lyu Haotian who were relatively safe even before their match yesterday. The Lyu v Xu match was good to watch.

Alan Taylor also won his match and that puts him first on the one-year “rescue” list for now.

As for Dominic Dale, his win yesterday hit him the jackpot: because of Liang Wenbo’s suspension he’s through to Judgement day and probably safe as well. Next season  will be Dominic’s 31st one…

WST has published the draw and format for the 2022 World Championship Crucible stages

Crucible Match Schedule

The draw and format for the final stages of the 2022 Betfred World Championship is now available, with the match schedule for the top 16 seeds confirmed.

Click here for the draw

Click here for the format

Once the qualifying rounds are completed on April 13th, the random draw for the last 32 round will take place at 11am on April 14th and can be watched live on Betfred TV and WST social media.

Defending champion Mark Selby will get the tournament underway at the Crucible at 10am on Saturday April 16th, and he will play to a finish the same evening from 7pm. On the other table in the morning will be Zhao Xintong.

Ronnie O’Sullivan takes the stage on the same day at 2.30pm, and concludes his first round tie on the afternoon of Sunday 17th. Neil Robertson, clearly the player of the season so far, starts on the afternoon of Monday April 18th and plays to a finish on the Tuesday morning. Judd Trump gets going on the Wednesday afternoon and his match will be the last of the opening round ties to finish, on the Thursday evening.

The tournament in Sheffield runs from April 16th to May 2nd.

The WST report on day 2 at the EIS focussed mainly on Marco Fu:

Tuesday 5 Apr 2022 08:19PM

Marco Fu’s return to professional snooker after a two-year absence finished in a narrow 6-5 defeat against Ian Burns in the first qualifying round of the the Betfred World Championship.

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Three-time ranking event winner Fu had not previously competed on the tour since the 2020 Welsh Open, having taken a break from the sport due to a combination of problems with his vision and travel restrictions caused by the Covid pandemic. The Hong Kong ace decided to return to the UK to play in snooker’s biggest tournament, but despite showing flashes of his old magic, he was unable to get the better of Englishman Burns.

A 141 total clearance – an early contender for the £15,000 tournament high break prize – helped put Burns 3-0 ahead. Fu recovered to 3-3, and later came from 5-3 down to 5-5 with a top run of 122. But a break of 73 gave Burns the decider and set up a second round meeting with Elliot Slessor.

“I know Marco hasn’t played a lot in the last couple of years, but when the draw came out I knew it was going to be a really tough game,” said Burns, who needs three more wins to earn a Crucible debut. “My game is in good shape and I knew I would have to play well today. Getting to the Crucible is something that everyone dreams of doing and there is pressure out there.”

Fu said: “It was nice to be back, I missed playing on the pro circuit. I have been stuck in Covid for two years and I almost forgot how to play the game. I didn’t expect too much today because I only had a week of intense training. When I started that week I couldn’t make a 20! Towards the end of the match today I was able to make a few breaks, but I was also missing a lot of easy shots.

“I still enjoy playing, though I have not practised more than twice a week for the last two years, so I feel like an amateur challenging the pros. I feel proud of the way I played today, but Ian played very well and it was hard to live with that standard.

“I’m not too sure what the future holds for me. I would love to pay in more tournaments next season but it all depends on what the quarantine rules are when I travel back to Hong Kong. If it stays at seven days that’s ok but if it changes to 21 days then I can’t come over.”

Hong Kong’s hopes of having a player at the final stages were dashed as Ng On Yee lost 6-2 to Rory McLeod. A break of 97 gave On Yee the opening frame, but McLeod hit back to take six of the next seven with a top break of 93.

Peter Devlin top scored with 64 in a 6-1 thrashing of Yorrit Hoes while Yuan Sijun fired runs of 105 and 130 in a 6-3 defeat of Ross Muir.

James Cahill, who knocked out Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible in 2019, moved a step towards a return by beating Jamie O’Neill 6-4 with a top break of 113.

Lee Walker top scored with 100 in a 6-2 win over Reanne Evans while Daniel Wells came from 5-4 down to edge out Chang Bingyu 6-5.

In the last match to finish on day two, or in fact at 2am on Wednesday morning, Peter Lines came from 5-2 down to 5-5 in a Leeds derby against Sanderson Lam, only for Lam to take a tense decider on the colours.

Marco has been out of the game for a very long time. because of health issues (eyes problems) and covid related travel restrictions. For the first three frames of the match he was really struggling, unable to construct anything. I was impressed with the way he improved during the match but it was obviously too little, too late.

Neither Reanne, nor On Yee currently have the level required to succesfully compete on the main tour, that much is obvious. Some people have questioned whether the women game should exist at all given that the tour is open to both genders. There is no easy answer to that. It can’t be denied that, even in 2022, girls don’t always feel welcome in snooker clubs. Mind you, some clubs don’t even allow them to play. Rebecca Kenna, who will play today, was playing for her local league and was prevented to play some fixtures simply  because the “host” club was not allowing women to play. So the women’s game offers girls a safe and welcoming environment which is of course very important to encourage them to take on snooker. BUT, when they reach a certain level, they don’t get the opposition they need to progress further, unless they get out of that “bubble”.  Should they be on the main tour though? I’m not sure. Once again, unless snooker evolves to a completely different “rating” model, the only short term answer I can see is to create a secondary tour as a transition step between amateurs and pros and have them competing at that level first.

Yesterday’s results mean relegation / Q-School for Ben Hancorn,

And so the big one is underway… and there is a lot at stake for many players.

Here is WST report on what happened yesterday:

Davies Sets Record As Youngest Winner

Liam Davies became the youngest ever winner of a match in the Betfred World Championship by beating Aaron Hill 6-4 as the first qualifying round got underway in Sheffield.

Match schedule / tickets

Welshman Davies is 15 years and 277 days old, and beat the record set in 2020 by Ben Mertens, who was just two days older when he beat James Cahill.

Davies is one of 16 amateurs handed a spot in the qualifying rounds by the WPBSA, having reached the semi-finals of the recent WSF Junior Championship. And the Tredegar cueman justified his place with a fine performance against Hill, who has now been relegated from the pro circuit and will have to go through Q School to regain his card.

A break of 127, the highest of the match, gave Davies the second frame, then from 1-1 he fell 4-2 behind. But he rallied to take the last four in a row with a top run of 72. He needs three more wins to reach the Crucible and faces Fergal O’Brien next.

It was a fine day for the amateurs as Northern Ireland’s 17-year-old Robbie McGuigan came from 3-1 and 4-3 down to score a 6-4 success over experienced pro Alfie Burden.

“To win a match in the World Championship against a professional, it means a lot to me,” said McGuigan. “This tournament adds extra pressure, players miss balls that they don’t miss in any other event. I felt it throughout the match but I was happy to make a nice break of 50 in the last frame to win it.

“I practise a lot with Mark Allen, he’s my step-dad, and I always wanted to be just like him, to walk out in the big tournaments like the Masters and World Championship. My motivation is to do what he is doing. I want to work hard and win big titles.”

Michael White – another amateur albeit with two ranking titles to his name – thrashed Fraser Patrick 6-1 with a top break of 100.

Women’s World Champion Nutcharut Wongharuthai shared the first four frames of her match with Duane Jones, but Welshman Jones then pulled away to win 6-2.

Jimmy White’s hopes of reaching the Crucible for the first time since 2006 ended quickly as he lost 6-2 to Andrew Pagett, whose top break was 95.

I didn’t watch much… only in the evening and then not even to the end of the session.

I didn’t watch Jimmy White, didn’t want to. It’s too painful. I will never tell a player that they should retire. It’s their life, and, for many, their passion. Who am I to tell them that they should quit because I don’t cope with their decline? But I have the choice not to watch. I will watch Jimmy in Seniors events because he can still compete at that level, and he still has the shots… but not in this.

Mink showed some very good stuff and got praise from both Alan McManus and Joe Johnson. Her safety game was excellent but her scoring needs improving and, as Alan reflected, she has very little cue power. She is petite and and very thin, of course, but cue power is also about “timing the shots”. May she can work on that with her coach David Roe.

Yesterday’s results mean that Aaron Hill and Zhao Jianbo are dropping off the tour and will need success at the Q-School should they want to pursue their professional career on the Main Tour.