Jackson Page Among First Q School Graduates

The Welshman secures an immediate return to the Main Tour after dropping off the circuit last month.

Jackson Page and three other competitors have become the first four graduates as Event 1 of the 2021 Q School wrapped up on Tuesday in Sheffield.

The 19 year-old backed up his earlier victories against Michael Judge and Soheil Vahedi with a 4-0 drubbing of Sean Harvey in the penultimate round at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, before overcoming Michael Georgiou at the final hurdle with a 4-1 scoreline.

Page, the former European under-21 champion, failed to impress during his debut stint on the Main Tour but will have another opportunity straight away to make his mark in the pro game.

Another up-and-coming star for the future joined the teenager, with China’s Yuan Sijun ousting Sydney Wilson and Mitchell Mann to also safeguard his return to the pro scene at the first attempt.

Yuan, 21 and a former ranking event semi-finalist, is widely regarded as one of the most talented from the huge Chinese crop of young competitors but suffered from a tough last couple of years which saw his career-high ranking of 43 plummet to outside the top 64.

Meanwhile, the other two Q School graduates from Event 1 are more experienced players, with Peter Lines impressing in particular to prolong his 30-year professional career.

The 51 year-old received a boost in confidence from his 4-0 victory against Michael White on Monday, and the Englishman followed that result up with further successes against Lee Shanker and Ian Burns.

Scotland’s Fraser Patrick was the other cueist to make it through, emerging from the gruelling amateur competition for the third time in the last decade with a 4-1 last-round triumph against Bai Langning.

All of the beaten players from Event 1 will go again in Event 2, which lasts another six days and gets under way on Wednesday in Sheffield.

There will again be four Main Tour places available from this tournament, but players will also be keeping an eye on the separate Order of Merit standings that will offer an additional two spots come the conclusion Q School’s Event 3.

Click here to view Q School Event 1
Click here to view Q School Event 2 (Times: CET)

Featured photo credit: WST