British teenager Stan Moody secured his place at the World Snooker Championship for the first time, a day after discharging himself from hospital.
Moody, 19, had been struggling with tonsillitis but managed to beat China’s Jiang Jun 10-9 on Tuesday, with a break of 104 in the deciding frame to qualify for the Crucible.
Stan Moody is ranked 44th in the world and had to win two qualifying matches to qualify for the World Snooker Championship.
Moody’s Fight to the Crucible
“I was in hospital yesterday,” said Moody. “They said ‘we know you’re going to say no, but we want you to stay in’, but I said ‘no, I have a match to play tomorrow’, so it was never really in question.
“I’ve been given a load of antibiotics so I’m on the mend. I couldn’t talk yesterday or eat or drink, so I’ve come a long way. They said if it gets worse, come back.
“I’m normally good under pressure but in that last frame I’ve never felt pressure so much in my life, I’m so happy.”
Yorkshireman Moody, who hails from Halifax, will become the first British teenager to make his Crucible debut since a 17-year-old Judd Trump in 2007.
Pullen Joins Moody as Yorkshire Debutant
Moody will not be the only young player from Yorkshire making his debut in Sheffield as 20-year-old Liam Pullen from York also booked his place, beating Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham 10-8.
Pullen had earlier been on course for a maximum 147, but after potting 14 reds he missed the 14th black, with the break ending on 105.
“It is a bit of a shame about the max,” said Pullen, who had to win four matches to qualify.
“I’m very proud I’m still in the tournament and I’m going to go to the Crucible and try my best.”
If he had made a 147 he would have earned £147,000 – for making two maximums across the major events in one season – something China’s Chang Bingyu did on Monday after his 147 in his loss to former world champion Luca Brecel.
Stevens Rolls Back the Years, Bingham Falls Short
Former world champion Stuart Bingham failed to qualify as he lost 10-7 against two-time runner-up Matthew Stevens.
Bingham, 49, won the title in 2015 but is 17th in the world rankings, with only the top 16 qualifying automatically, meaning he had to go through two qualifying rounds.
But 48-year-old Welshman Stevens, who lost in the final in 2000 and 2005, claimed his place in the main tournament at the Crucible for the first time since 2022.
“I can still play a little bit, which I proved today and I’m really happy,” said Stevens, who is 48th in the rankings. “It’s nice to be back, I’m nearly 50 and I don’t play as much as I used to.
“I was relaxed and Stuart didn’t play at his our best, otherwise he would’ve beaten me.”
Other Qualifiers
England’s David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in 2019 and 2024, was another British qualifier after winning 10-6 against Aaron Hill of the Republic of Ireland.
Iran’s Hossein Vafaei qualified for a fifth successive year thanks to a 10-4 win over Gao Yang of China.
“This morning I was not well at all,”