UK Championship 2023 snooker: Ken Doherty within one win of last 32 as Gary Wilson, Stuart Bingham and Ryan Day lose

Updated 22/11/2023 at 11:05 GMT

1997 world champion Ken Doherty turned back the clock on Tuesday in UK Championship qualifying with a 6-4 win against Chris Wakelin as he moved within one win of a spot at the finals venue in York. Doherty contested the UK final three times between 1994 and 2002, but has not reached the last 32 since 2014. He will meet Yuan Sijun on Thursday for a place in the draw alongside the world's top 16.

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Ken Doherty is one win away from reaching the last 32 of the UK Championship in York almost three decades since he first contested the final of the ranking event.

The evergreen 1997 world champion completed a 6-4 win over recent Northern Ireland Open finalist Chris Wakelin on Tuesday to advance to the final qualifying round at Leicester's Morningside Arena.

Doherty's highest break of the match was a modest 52 as he led 4-2 before he managed to eke out the final two frames to progress after Wakelin had levelled at 4-4.

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The Irishman lost the 1994 UK final to Stephen Hendry (10-5) in Preston and also finished runner-up in 2001 to Ronnie O'Sullivan (10-1) and Mark Williams (10-9) a year later at the York Barbican.

He will meet Yuan Sijun on Thursday afternoon after Yuan completed a 6-5 win against Alexander Ursenbacher from 3-0 down with two century breaks.

“When Jimmy White qualified for York last year, I was commentating on that match and when he walked in the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I got a bit emotional," said Doherty, who first turned professional in 1990, after a 6-3 win against Duane Jones in the second round.

"So to have a moment like that myself would be wonderful.”

Elsewhere, world No. 19 Ryan Day suffered a surprise 6-2 defeat to Lukas Kleckers, who next faces Ben Woollaston, while world No. 20 Gary Wilson is also out after the Scottish Open champion lost 6-3 to Zak Surety with his opponent claiming the final five frames to secure a meeting with Jamie Jones on Wednesday night.

But 2004 UK champion Stephen Maguire is through to the final round of qualifying with a heavy-scoring 6-4 win against Ashley Hugill after trailing 3-1.

Maguire produced breaks of 124, 75, 140, 77 and 115 to advance to a match with Joe O'Connor on Thursday afternoon.

Former world champions Stuart Bingham and Graeme Dott are both out.

2015 Crucible winner Bingham made two 90+ breaks but lost 6-2 to David Lilley, while 2006 champion Dott was defeated 6-3 by Elliot Slessor.