Wu Yize will be one of a record ten Chinese players at the Crucible after beating Matthew Stevens 10-9 in a dramatic finish in the final qualifying round of the Halo World Championship.
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The previous record of six Chinese players in the televised stages has been smashed as top 16 seeds Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, Xiao Guodong, and Si Jiahui will be joined by six more who have come through the qualifying rounds: Zhao Xintong, Zhou Yuelong, Fan Zhengyi, Pang Junxu, Lei Peifan and Wu.
Two-time runner-up Stevens came from 9-7 down to 9-9 to set up a tense 35-minute decider. Wu missed the final green when he led 45-40, but he got another chance after a loose safety from Stevens and this time potted a tremendous green and added brown, blue and pink for victory.
"I am very happy. I thought I was going to lose, he gave me too much pressure and I made mistakes in the last frame. I didn't think he would give me one more chance," said 21-year-old Wu, runner-up in two ranking events this season.
In an even closer finish, Matthew Selt beat Jimmy Robertson 10-9 on the final black to book a fifth trip to the Theatre of Dreams. From 8-3 down, Selt fought back to 9-9 with a top break of 112. The decider lasted 49 minutes and Robertson missed match-ball pink to a top corner before Selt slotted in pink and black. However the Essex cueman admitted his victory was tarnished by the fact that his friend Robertson had pulled him aside earlier in the match as he found Selt's antics off-putting.
"I have to apologise to Jimmy. After one of the frames I won he said I was distracting him and putting him off. So this win has no good feeling whatsoever," said former Indian Open champion Selt. "Jimmy is one of my closest friends so for him to feel so strongly, I feel dreadful about it. I am gutted for him that he didn't win so I want to say sorry to him. Everyone knows I commentate to myself during matches. He felt strongly enough to say something so I would have definitely been in the wrong."
Two-time Crucible finalist Ali Carter overcame a neck injury to beat He Guoqiang 10-5. The Captain is through to the Crucible for the 21st time and will become one of only 12 players to make more than 20 appearances.
"I don't now where it has come from but I have had a terrible neck ache with excruciating pain," said Carter. "In my first match against Ian Burns if I had gone 6-3 down at the end of the first session I was going to withdraw. I managed to clear up to go 5-4 and then played some decent stuff in the second session, but I was in agony. It is still not right now but I'm battling through. I will have to see a physiotherapist over the next couple of days. A lot of players have neck trouble and I have been playing this game for 39 years. I am a competitive animal and I hate losing at anything. I don't suppose many of the seeds will want to draw me."
Maximum man Jackson Page, who banked a £147,000 bonus for making two 147s in his previous match, will not be at the Crucible as he lost 10-7 to Joe O'Connor. On his debut last year, O'Connor knocked out Mark Selby before losing to Kyren Wilson. "It's great to be back there, I really enjoyed it last year," said O'Connor, who was runner-up to John Higgins at the World Open last month. "I didn't feel much pressure today because I don't get too attached to the outcome of matches, I think I was born like that and it's an advantage."
Hossein Vafaei scored five centuries in a superb 10-4 win over Wang Yuchen. Breaks of 113 and 123 helped Iran's top player Vafaei take a 7-4 lead and he finished with three consecutive tons, 104, 135 and 111, to earn a fourth consecutive Crucible appearance.
"The atmosphere today was unbelievable, it felt like the Crucible," said Vafaei. "I had to perform for the fans and my best game came out. I started the season really badly so at least I can finish it in a better way and hopefully continue playing like that. I love playing in the big events."
BetVictor Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan edged out Gao Yang 10-9 to earn his first trip to the Crucible, and will be one of three debutants alongside Zak Surety and Daniel Wells. Lei won his first ranking title in December in Edinburgh and will finish the season at the perfect location. Amateur Gao led 7-5 before Lei made breaks of 102 and 123 in taking an 8-7 lead. Gao took the next two frames and had chances for victory, but Lei took frame 18 on the final pink and the decider with a run of 66.
"Gao played really well and put me under a lot of pressure," said 21-year-old Lei. "In the second session I made some adjustments to my game and that's what won me the match. I kept telling myself to stay calm. Reaching the Crucible is just as exciting as winning the Scottish Open."
Fan Zhengyi beat Michael Holt 10-4 with a top break of 135 while Pang Junxu saw off Jamie Jones 10-6 with a top run of 94.