Mark Williams will miss the World Championship for the first time since 1996 after he lost 10-8 to Alan McManus in the final qualifying round.
Williams, 39, won the trophy in 2000 and 2003 and edged into an 8-7 lead during the evening session.
But McManus reeled off three frames in a row to reach the main draw.
Another former world champion, Graeme Dott, who won the title in 2006, also failed to qualify, losing 10-7 to world number 89 Kyren Wilson.
This latest defeat is a major blow for Williams, a winner of 18 ranking tournaments during an illustrious career.
The Welshman has now lost his place in the coveted top 16.
Williams and Scotland's Dott were not the only big-n
ame casualties at the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield.
Another Welshman, Matthew Stevens, also made an earlier than anticipated exit.
Stevens, beaten by Williams in the 2000 final and runner-up to Shaun Murphy five years later, went down 10-8 to Tom Ford.
The 36-year-old was 8-4 down to his 39th-ranked opponent before taking four of the next five frames.
But Ford hung on to reach the Crucible for the first time since 2010.
Mark Williams will miss the World Championship for the first time since 1996 after he lost 10-8 to Alan McManus in the final qualifying round.
No comments:
Post a Comment