Judgement Days Deliver Snooker Shocks in Wigan
The final qualifying stage for the prestigious UK Championship has produced a series of stunning results, setting up a surprising line-up for the crucial 'Judgement Days' in Wigan. The last 32 players are battling it out on Wednesday and Thursday for 16 coveted spots at the Barbican Centre in York, where the main tournament begins on Saturday.
While the world's top 16 players receive an automatic bye to the final stages, the qualifying tournament has been a brutal test for everyone else. The level of play has been exceptionally high, highlighted by two maximum 147 breaks already made in qualifying by Liam Pullen and Chang Bingyu.
Big Names Tumble in Qualifying Upsets
The road to York has proven treacherous for several established stars. In one of the biggest shocks, Jack Lisowski, the recent winner of the Northern Ireland Open, was soundly beaten 6-2 by Louis Heathcote on Tuesday. Lisowski struggled to find any form during the match, resulting in a premature exit.
He was not alone. Ali Carter, a two-time World Championship finalist, also saw his hopes dashed after a 6-4 defeat to Latvian teenager Artemijs Zizins on Tuesday afternoon. The highest-ranked player in the qualifying draw, world number 17 Chris Wakelin, also fell at the first hurdle, losing 6-3 to Mitchell Mann on Monday.
The upset trend continued with 2023 world champion Luca Brecel, whose quiet season persisted with a 6-3 loss to Ian Burns in his first qualifying match.
Judgement Days: The Path to York
The final round of qualifying, known as Judgement Days, is split across two sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. The winners of these matches will secure their place in the main draw. The full schedule is as follows:
Wednesday November 26
1pm Session:
Mitchell Mann vs Lyu Haotian
Yuan Sijun vs Michael Holt
Ian Burns vs Stephen Maguire
Daniel Wells vs David Gilbert
7pm Session:
Elliot Slessor vs Zak Surety
Joe O'Connor vs Ben Woollaston
Jamie Clarke vs Zhou Yuelong
Scott Donaldson vs Stuart Bingham
Thursday November 27
1pm Session:
Artemijs Zizins vs David Lilley
Pang Junxu vs Noppon Saengkham
Ryan Day vs Hossein Vafaei
Long Zehuang vs Louis Heathcote
7pm Session:
Zhang Anda vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Tom Ford vs Xu Si
Jimmy Robertson vs Lei Peifan
He Guoqiang vs Julien Leclercq
There was positive news for Belgian snooker, however, as Julien Leclercq secured an impressive 6-2 victory over former Crucible finalist Jak Jones.
Youngster Makes History Despite Exit
While not involved in the final round, 14-year-old Michal Szubarczyk from Poland had a week to remember. The youngest ever professional on tour defeated legends Jimmy White and Jordan Brown to reach the third qualifying round. Although he ultimately lost to Noppon Saengkham, he crafted his first professional century break during the event.
The draw for the first round proper in York will be made at 3pm on Thursday, once all 16 qualifiers are known. They will join the world's top 16, including Judd Trump, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Mark Selby, in the hunt for one of snooker's most coveted titles.
