World number 73 Zak Surety booked a place in the televised stages of the Halo World Championship for the first time with an emphatic 10-3 victory over Ricky Walden in the final qualifying round.
Surety is enjoying by far the best season of his career, notably reaching the semi-finals of the recent World Open, and will finish the campaign in the perfect fashion with a Crucible debut in the event which gets underway on Saturday. Having beaten Jack Lisowski in the previous round, the 33-year-old from Essex took another fine scalp today as a top break of 133 helped him beat three-time ranking event winner Walden.
"I am the biggest World Championship fan," said Surety. "I listen to the draw every year and this time I'm actually in it. I I will probably be up at 5am getting nervous waiting for it. When I lost in the semis in China (6-5 to John Higgins having led 5-3) it was devastating. I was thinking today, it can't happen again can it? Surely it's my turn for a nice drive home with a smile on my face. I must be doing something right. When Ricky shook my hand I have never been so relieved."
Gary Wilson, the highest ranked player in the qualifiers at world number 17, suffered a 10-9 reverse against world number 49 Daniel Wells who will now play at the Crucible for the first time. Wilson came from 6-2 down to 6-6 then it was neck and neck to the finish until the decider when Wells made a break of 52 which helped him over the line. The 36-year-old has done other jobs in the past including cleaning toilets and running a burger van but can now looks forward to his moment in snooker spotlight.
"I don't know how I held myself together, I couldn't even stand up," said Welshman Wells, holding back tears. "I was wondering if it would ever happen. I feel I am good enough to be there and I have worked really hard. It has to be the biggest win of my career. When I was 19 (in 2009) I lost 10-9 to Barry Hawkins in the final qualifying round and I thought the world was at my feet. Things haven't worked out that way and I haven't come close again until now."
David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in Sheffield last year before losing to Kyren Wilson, came through a thrilling battle with Aaron Hill by a 10-9 scoreline to secure his 11th Crucible trip. Ireland's Hill, seeking a debut, led 8-5 and 9-7 but Gilbert compiled breaks of 118 and 53 for 9-9. Hill had first chance in the decider but made just 20 before running out of position and Gilbert replied with 63. There was almost another twist as Hill got the snooker he needed on the last red, but Gilbert later dropped the green into a centre pocket for victory.
"I was a bit nervous because of what was on the line but I made a nice break in the decider," said Gilbert. "I just tried from 8-5. Aaron was much better than me and he'll be gutted. I hope he gets there one day but it was a bit of experience that got me through. I can try to finish the season on a high."
Zhao Xintong will become the third amateur to play at the Crucible, after James Cahill in 2019 and Michael White in 2022 (potentially joined by Gao Yang who plays in Judgement Day tomorrow), as he beat Elliot Slessor 10-8 in a high quality match which featured breaks of 134, 127 and 103 from Zhao and 114, 113 and 126 from Slessor.
China's Zhao won two ranking titles including the 2021 UK Championship before being banned for breaching betting regulations, but has now regained his tour card and will turn pro again at the beginning of next season. He is now set for a third Crucible appearance having played there in 2019 and 2022.
"I am very happy, I'm so proud of myself," said Zhao. "Slessor is a really good opponent and played really well tonight, there was huge pressure for me. I just try my best to play snooker and enjoy the table time. Hopefully I can come back to be a top player, but I need more wins."
It was an emotional night for Ben Woollaston as he beat Ross Muir 10-4 to earn his second Crucible trip and first since 2013. Since 2021, Woollaston has suffered from chronic fatigue which often left him unable to get out of bed. His condition has improved gradually over recent months and better results have followed. He enjoyed a comfortable win tonight with a top run of 104.
"It has been too long," said Woollaston. "For a few years I thought it was a matter of time before I fell off the tour. The last 12 months has been a massive improvement, I have been able to practise and win snooker matches again. There were times when I felt it wasn't even worth trying, but I had to try for my family. I would like my two sons to come and watch me this time because the oldest was only a few months old the last time I played at the Crucible."
Chris Wakelin, runner-up in the International Championship, earlier this season, earned his fourth Crucible appearance with a 10-2 win over Martin O'Donnell. "It's never easy, even at 6-0 I didn't feel comfortable," said Wakelin. "Getting over the line means a lot. I've had an amazing season but to not finish at the Crucible would have been a massive shame. My thought process for every match is that my opponent will have to play bloody well to beat me. Hopefully I can get my first win at the Crucible."
Zhou Yuelong is through to the Theatre of Dreams for a third time and first since 2019 as he came from 4-1 down to beat Yuan Sijun 10-5 with top breaks of 117 and 118. Ryan Day, a veteran of 15 previous Crucible appearances including three quarter-finals runs, saw off Sunny Akani 10-5 with a top break of 104.