World Snooker Championship Qualifiers | Judgement Day Preview and Order of Play
The 2022 World Snooker Championship Qualifiers draw to a dramatic conclusion on Part Two of Judgement Day in Sheffield on Wednesday.
Eight players have already booked their place in the sport’s show-piece event, leaving a further eight places up for grabs in Thursday’s First Round draw.
Ashley Hugill became the first debutant to reach this year’s main event at The Crucible, while veteran campaigners Ding Junhui and Stephen Maguire secured their returns.
A host of in-form hopefuls will be out to join them on the final day of qualifying at the English Institute of Sport, including four players yet to grace the hallowed Crucible carpet.
Arguably the pick of the day’s ties sees two stalwarts of the sport collide as two-time world finalists Ali Carter and Matthew Stevens go head-to-head.
The pair have already met twice this year, with Carter edging each in a last-frame decider, and ‘The Captain’ is bidding to continue his superb record in the qualifiers.
Stevens has dropped just two frames en route to the final round, thrashing Gerard Greene and Sam Craigie 6-1 and will be determined to atone for last year’s disappointment of missing out.
World number 19 David Gilbert, semi-finalist at The Crucible in 2019, aims to seal a fourth consecutive appearance by denying veteran Anthony Hamilton a first Crucible appearance since 2008.
Both players coasted through their opening matches, with Gilbert thrashing Rory McLeod 6-1 and Hamilton seeing off Elliot Slessor 6-2.
At least one further debutant is guaranteed to join Hugill in the draw as Hossein Vafaei and Lei Peifan face off in the biggest match of their respective careers.
Vafaei has already enjoyed a superb season which has seen him claim his first ranking title at the Shoot Out, as well as reaching the Semi-Finals of the Welsh Open.
He is now vying to become the first Iranian player to reach The Crucible, but must firstly overcome 18-year-old sensation Lei – who has defeated Sean Maddocks, Stuart Carrington and Alexander Ursenbacher en route to the final round.
Graeme Dott, the 2006 World Champion, looks to seal a return to The Crucible for the first time in three years when he faces Jamie Clarke – who reached the Last 16 on debut in 2020.
Dott has already made headlines in Sheffield this week by landing a maximum break in his 6-1 rout of Pang Junxu to move in line for the £15,000 tournament high break prize.
Jimmy Robertson, twice a ranking event semi-finalist this season, aims to end a four-year wait for a World Championship appearance when he comes up against two-time qualifier Chris Wakelin.
Robert Milkins, who picked up his first ranking title at the recent Gibraltar Open after 27 years as a professional, faces a shoot-out with two-time qualifier Noppon Saengkham – who is hoping to join his fellow Thai cueist Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the main draw.
20-year-old Welshman Jackson Page looks to secure a dream debut at the sport’s spiritual home by overcoming 2017 qualifier and former UK Championship semi-finalist – David Grace.
Page has already won three matches to reach this stage and notably knocked out reigning Welsh Open champion Joe Perry in Round Three.
Liam Highfield, qualifier in 2018 and 2021, looks to complete his hat-trick at the expense of aspiring debutant Yuan SiJun – the 21-year-old talent who has defeated Ross Muir, Steven Hallworth and Ryan Day at the EIS so far.
Matches get under way from 11am BST for a maximum of nine frames, before being played to a finish over the best of 19 from 5pm.
WATCH THE WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)
World Snooker Championship Qualifiers – Judgement Day Part II Schedule
Wednesday April 13
Fourth Round
11am & 5pm
David Gilbert v Anthony Hamilton
Jimmy Robertson v Chris Wakelin
Noppon Saengkham v Robert Milkins
Liam Highfield v Yuan SiJun
Ali Carter v Matthew Stevens
Jackson Page v David Grace
Graeme Dott v Jamie Clarke
Lei Peifan v Hossein Vafaei