The criteria for the WPBSA-nominated amateur qualifiers in the upcoming 2022 World Championship was announced recently.
As has been the case in recent years, there will be 16 amateurs invited by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.
The lineup consists of players who have made an impression in various international amateur events over the last several months.
Si Jiahui is one of highest profile names who will be entering the World Championship qualifiers draw at the Last 144 stage in April.
The Chinese teenager emerged victoriously with the World Snooker Federation Championship title in February.
Si has been a consistent top-up in ranking events on the Main Tour this season already, with notable victories over Shaun Murphy, Anthony McGill, and Graeme Dott under his belt.
WSF Championship runner-up Lee Stephens and the two semi-finalists – Welsh pair Michael White and Daniel Wells – have also been invited.
So too has Ukraine’s Anton Kazakov who stormed to an unexpected success in the WSF Junior Championship by beating Jake Crofts.
Crofts, in addition to semi-finalists Liam Davies and Yorrit Hoes, are among the competitors who will compete at the English Institute of Sport as well.
Elsewhere, there have been invitations for women’s world champion Nutcharut Wongharuthai after her magnificent victory at the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy last month.
The young Thai beat former world champion Ng On Yee en route to the final, where she denied Wendy Jans in a dramatic affair.
Wongharuthai also pipped Reanne Evans to glory in the Women’s British Open at the start of this year.
Evans and Ng, who are already competing on the Main Tour as professionals, will be joined in the World Championship qualifiers by a fourth female competitor in Rebecca Kenna.
Meanwhile, Dylan Emery will get his chance to shine in Sheffield – rewarded for his triumph in the European Under-21 Championship last October.
The remaining five spots will be granted to players ranked on the order of merit for the WPBSA Q Tour.
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We are delighted to be able to announce today the qualifiers who have earned their chance to compete at this year’s professional World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.”
“Each player has earned their chance following their performances at the sport’s leading amateur competitions, including the recent World Snooker Federation Championships – the biggest international amateur event held in many years with over 300 players having taken part – as well as WPBSA Q Tour, our sport’s premier amateur tour.
“These prestigious events are now leading the way in providing a direct pathway to the World Snooker Tour, whether through two-year tour cards, or other opportunities to compete in major events including the World Championship.”
Full WPBSA Qualifiers list:
- Si Jiahui – 2022 WSF Championship Winner
- Lee Stephens – 2022 WSF Championship Runner-up
- Daniel Wells – 2022 WSF Championship Semi-Finalist
- Michael White – 2022 WSF Championship Semi-Finalist
- Anton Kazakov – 2022 WSF Junior Championship Winner
- Jake Crofts – 2022 WSF Junior Championship Runner-up
- Liam Davies – 2022 WSF Junior Championship Semi-Finalist
- Yorrit Hoes – 2022 WSF Junior Championship Semi-Finalist
- Nutcharut Wongharuthai – 2022 World Women’s Snooker No.3 / World Champion
- Rebecca Kenna – 2022 World Women’s Snooker No.4
- Dylan Emery – 2021 EBSA European Under-21 Championship Winner
- Sean O’Sullivan – WPBSA Q Tour
- Robbie McGuigan – WPBSA Q Tour
- David Lilley – WPBSA Q Tour
- Ben Mertens – WPBSA Q Tour
- Michael Collumb – WPBSA Q Tour
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The 2022 World Snooker Championship qualifiers will take place from April 4 to 13, before the venue stages get under way on April 16 at the Crucible Theatre.
As usual, there will be 16 qualifiers joining the main draw alongside the world’s top 16, who are in the field automatically.
The amateur players competing in the World Championship qualifiers will have to negotiate all four rounds from the beginning in order to feature at the Crucible.
Featured photo credit: WST
It might also be worth mentioning that if any of the amateurs do manage to qualify for the crucible they will earn a 2 year place on the main tour.
True. A few of them have already sealed their Main Tour cards of course.
Plus a few more… These 16, plus the 120 professionals (no Igor Figueiredo and Stephen Hendry) mean that we need 8 more players to make up the 144.
Indeed that’s right, but this post was just about the WPBSA-nominated amateurs, not top-ups.
What about Stan Moody?