WST Pro Series snooker 2021: 'I've avoided qualifiers' – Mark Williams secures Crucible place
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ByEurosport
Updated 14/03/2021 at 11:47 GMT
Mark Williams has all but secured his place at the World Championship after winning Group P at the WST Pro Series event in Milton Keynes. The three-times world champion won six out of seven group matches to top the section on Saturday and join Robert Milkins in reaching the last 32. The world number 13 feels the achievement means he won't need to qualify for the Crucible next month.
Mark Williams
Image credit: Eurosport
Mark Williams won Group P at the WST Pro Series event in Milton Keynes to all but secure his place at the World Championship next month.
The three-times world champion enjoyed six wins from seven matches to top the section on frame difference ahead of Robert Milkins, who also finished on 18 points with six wins from seven.
Milkins hit a wonderful break of 142 in a 2-1 victory against Chinese 16-year-old Gao Yang, who Williams later tipped for a golden future in the game.
Williams feels reaching the last 32 of the inaugural Pro Series event means he will not have to qualify for the World Championship which begins on Saturday 17 April in Sheffield.
“I thought I played alright all of the way through. I was lucky in a couple of frames," said the world number 13, who hit two century breaks and suffered his only defeat of the day to Milkins.
"I was lucky to beat Florian (Nuessle), I got a snooker and won the first frame on the black and then won the next on the pink.
"It wasn’t as easy as it looked, but I’m just happy to be in the next group.
My aim was just to get to the Crucible without going to the qualifiers. I think I’ve done that now so I’m just looking forward to it and will enjoy it.
The second group stage of the WST Pro Series begins on Wednesday 17 March with 32 qualifiers from 16 groups making up four more groups of eight.
The final group will be contested between the top two from each group on Sunday 21 March, the day before the Tour Championship begins at Celtic Manor in Wales.
WST Pro Series last-32 qualifiers
- Jack Lisowski
- Luca Brecel
- Luo Honghao
- Zhou Yeulong
- Shaun Murphy
- Louis Heathcote
- Zhao Xintong
- Dominic Dale
- Stuart Bingham
- Sam Craigie
- Martin O'Donnell
- Lu Ning
- Kyren Wilson
- Sunny Akani
- Joe Perry
- Xiao Guodong
- Oliver Lines
- James Cahill
- Ali Carter
- Mark Davis
- Ben Woollaston
- Fergal O'Brien
- Barry Hawkins
- Ricky Walden
- Mark Williams
- Robert Milkins
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