The draw for the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers competition was announced on Thursday by the World Snooker Tour.
As usual, a total of 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 will gain automatic spots at the venue stages of the season’s final ranking event.
All but one of those positions in the main draw are already occupied, with the last automatic place set to go to either Jak Jones or Wu Yize.
Jones, who memorably reached the final in 2024 as a qualifier, provisionally holds onto the coveted 16th ranking.
However, 21 year-old Wu could displace the Welshman with a strong performance at the penultimate ranking tournament of the campaign – next week’s Tour Championship.
China’s Wu will need to reach the final in Manchester if he is to snatch a last-gasp Crucible seeding at the expense of Jones.
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.
Those outside the top 16 on the official two-year list after the Tour Championship will have to attend the English Institute of Sport for the dreaded qualifiers, though.
There are four rounds in total at the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, with the higher-ranked players from number 17 to 48 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 in the second round, with all the lower seeds facing the daunting task of having to win four matches 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.
Zhao, making his comeback after a 20-month ban from the sport, won all four of his qualifying matches to reach the UK Championship in November.
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.
Note: As world no.22 Wu Yize competes in next week’s Tour Championship, the seeding positions for those ranked between 17 and 22 are to be confirmed. Gary Wilson, Ali Carter, Stuart Bingham, Chris Wakelin, Tom Ford, and one of either Wu or Jak Jones will fill the TBC spots after Manchester.
2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers draw
Qualifier 1
Round 1
Hammad Miah vs Jonas Luz
Huang Jiahao vs Amaan Iqbal
Round 2
Rory Thor vs Miah/Luz
Daniel Wells vs Huang/Iqbal
Round 3
Seed 17 vs Thor/Miah/Luz/
Dominic Dale vs Wells/Huang/Iqbal
Round 4
TBC/Thor/Miah/Luz vs Dale/Wells/Huang/Iqbal
Qualifier 2
Round 1
Amir Sarkhosh vs Mateusz Baranowski
Artemijs Zizins vs Dylan Emery
Round 2
Ishpreet Singh Chadha vs Sarkhosh/Baranowski
Joe Perry vs Zizins/Emery
Round 3
Zhou Yuelong vs Chadha/Sarkhosh/Baranowski
Yuan Sijun vs Perry/Zizins/Emery
Round 4
Zhou/Chadha/Sarkhosh/Baranowski vs Yuan/Perry/Zizins/Emery
Qualifier 3
Round 1
Chris Totten vs Mitchell Mann
Antoni Kowalski vs Reanne Evans
Round 2
Liu Hongyu vs Totten/Mann
Zak Surety vs Kowalski/Evans
Round 3
Ricky Walden vs Liu/Totten/Mann
Jack Lisowski vs Surety/Kowalski/Evans
Round 4
Walden/Liu/Totten/Mann vs Lisowski/Surety/Kowalski/Evans
Qualifier 4
Round 1
Wang Yuchen vs Brian Cini
Duane Jones vs Florian Nuessle
Round 2
Graeme Dott vs Wang/Cini
Ma Hailong vs Jones/Nuessle
Round 3
Robert Milkins vs Dott/Wang/Cini
Hossein Vafaei vs Ma/Jones/Nuessle
Round 4
Milkins/Dott/Wang/Cini vs Vafaei/Ma/Jones/Nuessle
Qualifier 5
Round 1
Liam Graham vs Fergal Quinn
Robbie McGuigan vs Hatem Yassen
Round 2
Ross Muir vs Graham/Quinn
Mark Davis vs McGuigan/Yassen
Round 3
Seed 21 vs Muir/Graham/Quinn
Ben Woollaston vs Davis/McGuigan/Yassen
Round 4
TBC/Muir/Graham/Quinn vs Woollaston/Davis/McGuigan/Yassen
Qualifier 6
Round 1
Ben Mertens vs Daniel Womersley
Cheung Ka Wai vs Zhao Xintong
Round 2
Marco Fu vs Mertens/Womersley
Long Zehuang vs Cheung/Zhao
Round 3
Elliot Slessor vs Fu/Mertens/Womersley
Lyu Haotian vs Long/Cheung/Zhao
Round 4
Slessor/Fu/Mertens/Womersley vs Lyu/Long/Cheung/Zhao
Qualifier 7
Round 1
Liam Davies vs Ahmed Aly Elsayed
Sunny Akani vs Kreish Gurbaxani
Round 2
Sanderson Lam vs Davies/Elsayed
David Grace vs Akani/Gurbaxani
Round 3
Ryan Day vs Lam/Davies/Elsayed
Noppon Saengkham vs Grace/Akani/Gurbaxani
Round 4
Day/Lam/Davies/Elsayed vs Saengkham/Grace/Akani/Gurbaxani
Qualifier 8
Round 1
Farakh Ajaib vs Baipat Siripaporn
Alexander Ursenbacher vs Paul Deaville
Round 2
Jordan Brown vs Ajaib/Siripaporn
Xing Zihao vs Ursenbacher/Deaville
Round 3
Martin O’Donnell vs Brown/Ajaib/Siripaporn
Seed 20 vs Xing/Ursenbacher/Deaville
Round 4
O’Donnell/Brown/Ajaib/Siripaporn vs TBC/Xing/Ursenbacher/Deaville
Qualifier 9
Round 1
Oliver Lines vs Mohammed Shehab
Manasawin Phetmalaikul vs Leone Crowley
Round 2
Michael Holt vs Lines/Shehab
Robbie Williams vs Phetmalaikul/Crowley
Round 3
Seed 19 vs Holt/Lines/Shehab
Fan Zhengyi vs Williams/Phetmalaikul/Crowley
Round 4
TBC/Holt/Lines/Shehab vs Fan/Williams/Phetmalaikul/Crowley
Qualifier 10
Round 1
Andrew Pagett vs Iulian Boiko
Allan Taylor vs Joshua Thomond
Round 2
Louis Heathcote vs Pagett/Boiko
Jamie Clarke vs Taylor/Thomond
Round 3
Joe O’Connor vs Heathcote/Pagett/Boiko
Jackson Page vs Clarke/Taylor/Thomond
Round 4
O’Connor/Heathcote/Pagett/Boiko vs Page/Clarke/Taylor/Thomond
Qualifier 11
Round 1
Julien Leclercq vs Zhou Jinhao
Jimmy White vs Anton Kazakov
Round 2
Jamie Jones vs Leclercq/Jinhao
Ashley Carty vs White/Kazakov
Round 3
Xu Si vs Jones/Leclercq/Jinhao
Pang Junxu vs Carty/White/Kazakov
Round 4
Xu/Jones/Leclercq/Jinhao vs Pang/Carty/White/Kazakov
Qualifier 12
Round 1
Mostafa Dorgam vs Simon Blackwell
Andrew Higginson vs Ryan Thomerson
Round 2
Matthew Stevens vs Dorgham/Blackwell
Jiang Jun vs Higginson/Thomerson
Round 3
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Stevens/Dorgham/Blackwell
Seed 22 vs Jiang/Higginson/Thomerson
Round 4
Un-Nooh/Stevens/Dorgham/Blackwell vs TBC/Jiang/Higginson/Thomerson
Qualifier 13
Round 1
Gong Chenzhi vs Kaylan Patel
Haris Tahir vs Joshua Cooper
Round 2
Stuart Carrington vs Gong/Patel
Aaron Hill vs Tahir/Cooper
Round 3
David Gilbert vs Carrington/Gong/Patel
Anthony McGill vs Hill/Tahir/Cooper
Round 4
Gilbert/Carrington/Gong/Patel vs McGill/Hill/Tahir/Cooper
Qualifier 14
Round 1
Liam Pullen vs Gao Yang
Haydon Pinhey vs Ken Doherty
Round 2
Tian Pengfei vs Pullen/Gao
David Lilley vs Pinhey/Doherty
Round 3
Stephen Maguire vs Tian/Pullen/Gao
Lei Peifan vs Lilley/Pinhey/Doherty
Round 4
Maguire/Tian/Pullen/Gao vs Lei/Lilley/Pinhey/Doherty
Qualifier 15
Round 1
Bulcsu Revesz vs Steven Hallworth
Dean Young vs Michal Szubarczyk
Round 2
Anthony Hamilton vs Revesz/Hallworth
Stan Moody vs Young/Szubarczyk
Round 3
Matthew Selt vs Hamilton/Revesz/Hallworth
Jimmy Robertson vs Moody/Young/Szubarczyk
Round 4
Selt/Hamilton/Revesz/Hallworth vs Robertson/Moody/Young/Szubarczyk
Qualifier 16
Round 1
Bai Yulu vs Liam Highfield
Ian Burns vs Mink Nutcharut
Round 2
He Guoqiang vs Bai/Highfield
Alfie Burden vs Burns/Nutcharut
Round 3
Scott Donaldson vs He/Bai/Highfield
Seed 18 vs Burden/Burns/Nutcharut
Round 4
Donaldson/He/Bai/Highfield vs TBC/Burden/Burns/Nutcharut
Featured photo credit: WPBSA
