The 2026 World Snooker Championship is underway, however quite a lot of high-profile stars are lacking.
2023 world champion Luca Brecel didn’t high quality. (Picture: Getty Pictures)
The 2026 World Snooker Championship is formally underway, delivering over a fortnight of gripping motion. Nevertheless, snooker followers might be disillusioned to find that a number of of their most beloved gamers might be absent from the long-lasting Crucible Theatre.
This is because of this yr’s qualifying rounds in Sheffield, which wrapped up on Wednesday and proved significantly ruthless. They witnessed quite a few high-profile casualties, together with three former world champions who had been eradicated earlier than the televised levels started.
This yr’s Judgement Day proved exceptionally cruel in comparison with earlier editions for a few of the sport’s most outstanding figures, probably carrying career-ending implications for sure people. Categorical Sport names 11 such stars who is not going to be competing on the Crucible within the coming weeks.
In a conflict between seasoned Crucible campaigners, 2015 champion Stuart Bingham was edged out 10-7 by Matthew Stevens in a final-round encounter that stretched deep into the evening.
Anthony McGill additionally fell on the fourth-round hurdle, shedding 10-7 to Ali Carter. Having progressed to the ultimate spherical by defeating Ricky Walden, Thai sensation and world No. 45 Noppon Saengkham was broadly thought-about the favorite to safe qualification. Nevertheless, he turned the most recent casualty of giant-killer Liam Pullen, falling to a hard-fought 10-8 defeat.
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