Jack Lisowski advances to Judgement Day

Jack Lisowski moved to within a win of a return to the Crucible Theatre after thrashing Liu Hongyu 10-4 in the World Championship qualifiers.

The Englishman missed out on an automatic spot at the venue stages of this year’s competition by just £6,500, with Robert Milkins snatching the 16th seeding instead.

Lisowski can only have himself to blame after a disappointing 2023/24 campaign in which he has reached only one ranking semi-final.

The 32 year-old has participated at every World Championship since 2018, with a quarter-final run in 2022 representing his best performance to date.

He had no problems dispatching Liu in the penultimate round of the preliminaries, compiling a hat-trick of century breaks in taking the opening five frames.

The remainder of the contest was more evenly matched, but Lisowski ultimately coasted to the winning line and wrapped up the victory with a superb 142 total clearance.

Lisowski will encounter two-time World Championship runner-up Matthew Stevens in the final round on Tuesday.

The latter, who once regularly challenged for the sport’s blue-riband title, ousted Jimmy Robertson with a 10-6 scoreline.

Among the others to qualify for Judgement Day were Ricky Walden, Dominic Dale, and Mark Davis.

This time last year, Davis lost a dramatic Judgement Day clash to Joe Perry on the final black that, at the time, consigned him to tour relegation.

But the veteran former six red world champion is back for another crack 12 months on after his 10-8 defeat of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Walden had too much for Ian Burns while Dale’s strong campaign continued with a 10-6 victory over David Grace.

Elsewhere, Jenson Kendrick’s unexpected run from the first qualifying round was extended with a 10-5 triumph over Jordan Brown.

Kendrick has had an awful experience since joining the tour as a professional almost two years ago but would sensationally save his card if he were to beat Lyu Haotian at the last hurdle.

Like in previous seasons, any player ranked outside the top 64 who qualifies for the Crucible will earn a fresh two-year card.

Lyu left it late to deny Daniel Wells, while the other result in the third round saw rookie He Guoqiang upset former semi-finalist Anthony McGill.

There were several matches still to be completed from the second round of qualifying, meanwhile.

Englishmen, Alfie Burden, Sanderson Lam, David Lilley, John Astley, and Zak Surety all moved forward in the event.

Scott Donaldson, Tian Pengfei, and Ben Mertens also stayed in the hunt to claim one of the 16 coveted Crucible tickets.

The action at the English Institute of Sport continues with more third-round play on Sunday.

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World Snooker Championship qualifiers draw

All matches are the best of 19 frames played across two sessions.
Scorelines in italics indicate the end of the first session.

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Qualifier 1

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Jimmy White w/o Martin Gould	Jimmy White 3-10 Liu Hongyu	Liu Hongyu 4-10 Jack Lisowski
				Jack Lisowski 10-3 Matthew Stevens
2	Ryan Thomerson 3-10 Liam Davies	Liam Davies 2-10 Jimmy Robertson	Jimmy Robertson 6-10 Matthew Stevens

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Qualifier 2

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
3	Ian Burns 10-1 Dean Young	Ian Burns 10-7 Mark Joyce	Ian Burns 7-10 Ricky Walden
				Ricky Walden 10-9 Mark Davis
4	Andy Lee 9-10 Andrew Pagett	Andrew Pagett 2-10 Mark Davis	Mark Davis 10-8 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

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Qualifier 3

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
5	Rory Thor 10-2 Hamza Ilyas	Rory Thor 8-10 David Grace	David Grace 6-10 Dominic Dale
				Dominic Dale 10-8 He Guoqiang
6	Ross Muir 10-9 Cheung Ka Wai	Ross Muir 8-10 He Guoqiang	He Guoqiang 10-5 Anthony McGill

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Qualifier 4

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
7	Alfie Burden 10-1 Rebecca Kenna	Alfie Burden 10-3 Xu Si	Alfie Burden 5-10 Jamie Jones
				Jamie Jones 10-9 Neil Robertson
8	Ishpreet Singh Chadha 6-10 Gao Yang	Gao Yang 6-10 Zak Surety	Zac Surety 2-10 Neil Robertson

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Qualifier 5

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
9	Sean O’Sullivan 8-10 Bulscu Revesz	Bulscu Revesz 8-10 James Cahill	James Cahill 0-10 Zhou Yuelong
				Zhou Yuelong 4-10 Jak Jones
10	Andres Petrov 10-1 Ahmed Elsayed	Andres Petrov 7-10 Jamie Clarke	Jamie Clarke 6-10 Jak Jones

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Qualifier 6

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
11	Adam Duffy 10-5 Mink Nutcharut	Adam Duffy 4-10 Ashley Hugill	Ashley Hugill 7-10 Stephen Maguire
				Stephen Maguire 10-6 Yuan Sijun
12	Andrew Higginson 10-7 Duane Jones	Andrew Higginson 8-10 Michael White	Michael White 8-10 Yuan Sijun

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Qualifier 7

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
13	Louis Heathcote 10-4 Oliver Sykes	Louis Heathcote 10-7 Oliver Lines	Louis Heathcote 10-8 Elliot Slessor
				Louis Heathcote 8-10 Stuart Bingham
14	Stuart Carrington 10-5 Himanshu Jain	Stuart Carrington 10-9 Liam Highfield	Stuart Carrington 9-10 Stuart Bingham

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Qualifier 8

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
15	Alexander Ursenbacher 10-0 Iulian Boiko	Alexander Ursenbacher 7-10 Anthony Hamilton	Anthony Hamilton 5-10 Robbie Williams
				Robbie Williams 10-9 Chris Wakelin
16	Allan Taylor 10-6 Vladislav Gradinari	Allan Taylor 9-10 Lukas Kleckers	Lukas Kleckers 5-10 Chris Wakelin

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Qualifier 9

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
17	Marco Fu 10-1 Baipat Siripaporn	Marco Fu 10-6 Ken Doherty	Marco Fu 4-10 Hossein Vafaei
				Hossein Vafaei 10-5 Jiang Jun
18	Jiang Jun 10-6 Amir Sarkhosh	Jiang Jun 10-8 Fan Zhengyi	Jiang Jun 10-8 Sam Craigie

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Qualifier 10

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
19	Hammad Miah 2-10 Haydon Pinhey	Haydon Pinhey 3-10 Julien Leclercq	Julien Leclercq 1-10 Joe O’Connor
				Joe O’Connor 10-8 Matthew Selt
20	Daniel Womersley w/o Muhammad Asif	Daniel Womersley 3-10 Aaron Hill	Aaron Hill 4-10 Matthew Selt

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Qualifier 11

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
21	Ma Hailong 10-1 Victor Sarkis	Ma Hailong 10-7 Martin O’Donnell	Ma Hailong 4-10 Cao Yupeng
				Cao Yupeng 8-10 Pang Junxu
22	Oliver Brown 10-0 Reanne Evans	Oliver Brown 10-8 Dylan Emery	Oliver Brown 7-10 Pang Junxu

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Qualifier 12

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
23	Fergal O’Brien 8-10 Mostafa Dorgham	Mostafa Dorgham 5-10 Graeme Dott	Graeme Dott 5-10 Jackson Page
				Jackson Page 10-9 Noppon Saengkham
24	Long Zehuang 10-1 Sydney Wilson	Long Zehuang 2-10 Andy Hicks	Andy Hicks 5-10 Noppon Saengkham

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Qualifier 13

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
25	Rod Lawler 10-7 Gong Chenzhi	Rod Lawler 9-10 Ben Mertens	Ben Mertens 9-10 Si Jiahui
				Si Jiahui 10-4 Wu Yize
26	Stan Moody 6-10 Mohamed Shehab	Mohamed Shebab 8-10 Tian Pengfei	Tian Pengfei 8-10 Wu Yize

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Qualifier 14

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
27	Xing Zihao 10-6 Michael Holt	Xing Zihao 5-10 Daniel Wells	Daniel Wells 8-10 Lyu Haotian
				Lyu Haotian 10-7 Jenson Kendrick
28	Jenson Kendrick 10-7 Bai Yulu	Jenson Kendrick 10-8 Ben Woollaston	Jenson Kendrick 10-5 Jordan Brown

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Qualifier 15

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
29	Liam Pullen 10-3 Anton Kazakov	Liam Pullen 8-10 Sanderson Lam	Sanderson Lam 2-10 Xiao Guodong
				Xiao Guodong 6-10 David Gilbert
30	Peng Yisong 10-5 Manasawin Phetmalaikul	Peng Yisong 9-10 David Lilley	David Lilley 4-10 David Gilbert

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Qualifier 16

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
31	Mohamed Ibrabim 6-10 Peter Lines	Peter Lines 6-10 Scott Donaldson	Scott Donaldson 10-6 Joe Perry
				Scott Donaldson 9-10 Ryan Day
32	Ashley Carty 10-4 Liam Graham	Ashley Carty 6-10 John Astley	John Astley 6-10 Ryan Day

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Featured photo credit: WST