The 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers commence on Monday with the likes of Stuart Bingham, Jimmy White, and Zhao Xintong in the draw.
As usual, 16 qualifiers will emerge with tickets to compete at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield towards the end of April.
The top 16 players from the world rankings list have already gained automatic spots at the venue stages of the season’s final ranking event.
The likes of reigning world champion Kyren Wilson and world number one Judd Trump will definitely feature in the first round proper of this year’s World Championship as top 16 seeds.
The remaining 128 competitors in the 2025 World Snooker Championship draw will head to the dreaded qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport.
There are four rounds in total during the preliminary phase of the sport’s blue-riband competition, with the higher-ranked players from numbers 17 to 48 in the world entering in round three.
Stuart Bingham, Ali Carter, Stephen Maguire, and Ryan Day are among some of the notable competitors who will join the fray at this point.
The players ranked from 49 to 80 will enter before that in the second round, with all the lower seeds facing the daunting task of having to win all four rounds to qualify.
As there are only 126 WST members this season, and with four of those not entering the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, the remaining spots in the draw have been filled by various WPBSA invitees and Q School top-ups.
Zhao Xintong is a notable amateur in the field, with the former UK champion earning a spot through his stellar performances on the Q Tour this term.
The 28 year-old, making his comeback after a 20-month ban, won all four of his qualifying matches to reach the UK Championship in November and will definitely return to the main tour as a professional from next season.
Six-time Crucible runner-up Jimmy White, 1997 world champion Ken Doherty, and 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans will also be involved from the first qualifying round.
The qualifiers will additionally represent the last opportunity for players outside the world’s top 64 to secure tour survival.
Among the familiar names at risk of being relegated are White, Joe Perry, Marco Fu, and Anthony Hamilton.
The 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers run from April 7th to 16th, with every match taking place over the best of 19 frames.
The main stages at the Crucible Theatre commence on Saturday, April 19th.
2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers
– draw and schedule –
Qualifier 1
Round 1
Hammad Miah 10-0 Jonas Luz
Huang Jiahao 10-4 Amaan Iqbal
Round 2
Rory Thor 9-10 Hammad Miah
Daniel Wells 10-6 Huang Jiahao
Round 3
Gary Wilson 10-1 Hammad Miah
Dominic Dale 4-10 Daniel Wells
Round 4
Gary Wilson 9-10 Daniel Wells
Qualifier 2
Round 1
Amir Sarkhosh 2-10 Mateusz Baranowski
Artemijs Zizins 4-10 Dylan Emery
Round 2
Ishpreet Singh Chadha 10-2 Mateusz Baranowski
Joe Perry 10-6 Dylan Emery
Round 3
Zhou Yuelong 10-5 Ishpree Singh Chadha
Yuan Sijun 10-5 Joe Perry
Round 4
Zhou Yuelong 10-5 Yuan Sijun
Qualifier 3
Round 1
Chris Totten 7-10 Mitchell Mann
Antoni Kowalski 10-4 Reanne Evans
Round 2
Liu Hongyu 2-10 Mitchell Mann
Zak Surety 10-2 Antoni Kowalski
Round 3
Ricky Walden 10-9 Mitchell Mann
Jack Lisowski 8-10 Zak Surety
Round 4
Ricky Walden 3-10 Zak Surety
Qualifier 4
Round 1
Wang Yuchen 10-5 Brian Cini
Duane Jones 10-9 Florian Nuessle
Round 2
Wang Yuchen w/o Graeme Dott
Ma Hailong 1-10 Duane Jones
Round 3
Robert Milkins 5-10 Wang Yuchen
Hossein Vafaei 10-7 Duane Jones
Round 4
Wang Yuchen 4-10 Hossein Vafaei
Qualifier 5
Round 1
Liam Graham 10-9 Fergal Quinn
Robbie McGuigan 10-6 Hatem Yassen
Round 2
Ross Muir 10-5 Liam Graham
Mark Davis 10-7 Robbie McGuigan
Round 3
Tom Ford 7-10 Ross Muir
Ben Woollaston 10-9 Mark Davis
Round 4
Ross Muir 4-10 Ben Woollaston
Qualifier 6
Round 1
Ben Mertens 10-5 Daniel Womersley
Cheung Ka Wai 3-10 Zhao Xintong
Round 2
Marco Fu 10-4 Ben Mertens
Long Zehuang 8-10 Zhao Xintong
Round 3
Elliot Slessor 10-6 Marco Fu
Lyu Haotian 4-10 Zhao Xintong
Round 4
Elliot Slessor 8-10 Zhao Xintong
Qualifier 7
Round 1
Liam Davies 10-2 Ahmed Aly Elsayed
Sunny Akani 10-3 Kreish Gurbaxani
Round 2
Sanderson Lam 10-9 Liam Davies
David Grace 9-10 Sunny Akani
Round 3
Ryan Day 10-5 Sanderson Lam
Noppon Saengkham 7-10 Sunny Akani
Round 4
Ryan Day 10-5 Sunny Akani
Qualifier 8
Round 1
Farakh Ajaib 10-2 Baipat Siripaporn
Alexander Ursenbacher 10-6 Paul Deaville
Round 2
Jordan Brown 10-6 Farakh Ajaib
Xing Zihao 10-6 Alexander Ursenbacher
Round 3
Martin O’Donnell 10-8 Jordan Brown
Chris Wakelin 10-5 Xing Ziaho
Round 4
Martin O’Donnell 2-10 Chris Wakelin
Qualifier 9
Round 1
Oliver Lines 10-8 Mohammed Shehab
Manasawin Phetmalaikul 10-3 Leone Crowley
Round 2
Michael Holt 10-8 Oliver Lines
Robbie Williams 10-4 Manasawin Phetmalaikul
Round 3
Stuart Bingham 6-10 Michael Holt
Fan Zhengyi 10-6 Robbie Williams
Round 4
Michael Holt 4-10 Fan Zhengyi
Qualifier 10
Round 1
Andrew Pagett 2-10 Iulian Boiko
Allan Taylor 10-7 Joshua Thomond
Round 2
Louis Heathcote 9-10 Iulian Boiko
Jamie Clarke 8-10 Allan Taylor
Round 3
Joe O’Connor 10-4 Iulian Boiko
Jackson Page 10-2 Allan Taylor
Round 4
Joe O’Connor 10-7 Jackson Page
Qualifier 11
Round 1
Julien Leclercq 10-7 Zhou Jinhao
Jimmy White 10-9 Anton Kazakov
Round 2
Jamie Jones 10-7 Julien Leclercq
Ashley Carty 10-5 Jimmy White
Round 3
Xu Si 7-10 Jamie Jones
Pang Junxu 10-2 Ashley Carty
Round 4
Jamie Jones 6-10 Pang Junxu
Qualifier 12
Round 1
Mostafa Dorgam 7-10 Simon Blackwell
Andrew Higginson 10-7 Ryan Thomerson
Round 2
Matthew Stevens 10-3 Simon Blackwell
Jiang Jun 10-5 Andrew Higginson
Round 3
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 8-10 Matthew Stevens
Wu Yize 10-4 Jiang Jun
Round 4
Matthew Stevens 9-10 Wu Yize
Qualifier 13
Round 1
Gong Chenzhi 10-7 Kaylan Patel
Haris Tahir 10-6 Joshua Cooper
Round 2
Stuart Carrington 8-10 Gong Chenzhi
Aaron Hill 10-0 Haris Tahir
Round 3
David Gilbert 10-6 Gong Chenzhi
Anthony McGill 5-10 Aaron Hill
Round 4
David Gilbert 10-9 Aaron Hill
Qualifier 14
Round 1
Liam Pullen 5-10 Gao Yang
Haydon Pinhey 3-10 Ken Doherty
Round 2
Tian Pengfei 6-10 Gao Yang
David Lilley 10-2 Ken Doherty
Round 3
Stephen Maguire 3-10 Gao Yang
Lei Peifan 10-6 David Lilley
Round 4
Gao Yang 9-10 Lei Peifan
Qualifier 15
Round 1
Bulcsu Revesz 2-10 Steven Hallworth
Dean Young 10-8 Michal Szubarczyk
Round 2
Anthony Hamilton 10-8 Steven Hallworth
Stan Moody 10-3 Dean Young
Round 3
Matthew Selt 10-3 Anthony Hamilton
Jimmy Robertson 10-9 Stan Moody
Round 4
Matthew Selt 10-9 Jimmy Robertson
Qualifier 16
Round 1
Bai Yulu 3-10 Liam Highfield
Ian Burns 10-4 Mink Nutcharut
Round 2
He Guoqiang 10-3 Liam Highfield
Alfie Burden 4-10 Ian Burns
Round 3
Scott Donaldson 9-10 He Guoqiang
Ali Carter 10-8 Ian Burns
Round 4
He Guoqiang 5-10 Ali Carter
How to watch the snooker qualifiers
There are various ways to watch those in action in the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, depending on your location.
The final round – known as Judgement Day – will be available to watch on WST Play from any territory by signing up for a free account.
A list of the global broadcasters is below:
UK and Europe
discovery+ in UK, Germany, Italy and Austria. MAX in other European territories.
China
Huya.com
Migu
CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel
CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
All other territories
WST Play
Featured photo credit: WPBSA
I do wonder if YouTube will be showing Judgement Day in addition to WST Play. It probably won’t be given they will want to maximise interest in the fledgling WST Play.
The fifth qualifier is the standout for me. Zhao Xintong and Marco Fu add real strength in depth to that Octet.
Bingham, Dott and Doherty are the former champions involved in the qualifiers.
I doubt it re: YouTube. Like you said, it’s clear they want people to sign up to WST Play. For what it’s worth, it has been a big improvement on Matchroom Live. No major issues so far.
I will do unless I prefer to watch a single match on Discovery. My only issue with WST Play is whether I can access it easily on my smart TV.
Selby looking in vintage form so far. He’s striking the ball with incredible authority.
Rooting for Jackson Page to make it into the main draw — after those 2 147s, especially the 2nd where he potted a very difficult penultimate black, it would be a shame not to see him at the Crucible — he deserves a big round of applause from a full house (attendance at the qualifiers is low).
For most of the last ten years I have watched the World Championship Judgement Day stream on Youtube as well as the one for UK Championship in the last few years. It is a shame that you can no longer view it on there as you now have to be sign in to WST Play.