Duffy misses out on Crucible appearance

ADAM DUFFY yesterday missed out on the chance of being the first Sheffield snooker player to compete at the Crucible in the World Championship finals.

The 29-year-old potter lost 10-1 in the final round of qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield to China’s Xiao Guodong.

Trailing 8-1 overnight, Duffy had Tweeted “If I win tomorrow from 8-1 down I’ll buy everyone in Sheffield a pint of beer”.

But that expensive round was never in danger, as the Sheffield potter lost the opening two frames.

Duffy was Yorkshire’s final hope of a player reaching the televised Crucible stages – which start on Saturday as Mark Selby launches the defence of his world title – having earlier beaten Mark Joyce 10-4 and Matthew Selt 10-6 in the first two qualifying rounds.

Another to fall at the final qualifying hurdle was former World Championship winner Ken Doherty, the 1997 champion losing 10-2 to Matthew Stevens.

Welsh cueman Stevens, who has twice lost in world finals and will be making his 16th World Championship appearance, led 7-2 overnight and swiftly wrapped up victory over the 48-year-old Irishman.

Chris Wakelin, from Nuneaton, earned a Crucible debut with a 10-1 win against China’s Tian Pengfei.

The draw takes place on Thursday morning, and will feature 2006 world champion Graeme Dott who survived qualifying for a fourth successive year, winning 10-7 against Mike Dunn.

Joe Perry, Ricky Walden, Robert Milkins and Stuart Carrington joined the players heading to the main draw, along with Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-nooh, celebrating his 33rd birthday.

But China’s Liang Wenbo missed out on a Crucible return, crushed 10-0 by Welshman Jamie Jones.