The Q Tour World Playoffs befell this week in Turkiye with Liam Highfield, Steven Hallworth, and Florian Nuessle rising with skilled playing cards on the World Snooker Tour.
A complete of 24 rivals from the Q Tour newbie circuit travelled to Antalya within the hope of attaining their skilled standing.
Highfield and Hallworth each regained their membership inside the elite of the sport, whereas Nuessle advances to the professional ranks for the primary time in his profession.
Highfield had been on the principle tour between 2010 and 2024, reaching a career-high rating of quantity 39 on this planet rankings.
The Stoke potter made two rating occasion quarter-final appearances throughout his first stint.
The 34 year-old, who triumphed at Occasion 7 throughout this season’s Q Tour calendar, beat Habib Subah Humood 5-1 within the opening spherical of the Q Tour World Playoffs.
Highfield then overcame fellow Englishman Harvey Chandley with a 6-2 scoreline earlier than thrashing Iulian Boiko on the last hurdle.
Hallworth, in the meantime, will take a 3rd crack on the skilled scene after having fun with a earlier stint between 2014 and 2016, and once more between 2020 and 2022.
The 29 year-old, a Shoot Out semi-finalist two years in the past when competing as an newbie top-up within the occasion, edged Luo Honghao within the first spherical of the Playoffs.
Hallworth backed that up with a 6-1 defeat of Ryan Davies earlier than orchestrating a 10-5 victory towards Mark Joyce.
The latter had produced a 147 break throughout his penultimate-round win over Dylan Emery, nevertheless it was Hallworth who scored closely on the ultimate day.
Austria’s Nuessle joined them to lastly fulfil his dream of turning into knowledgeable snooker participant for the primary time.
The 23 year-old had already suffered a number of close to misses, together with ending runner-up on the European Underneath-18 Championship in 2018 and once more on the European Underneath-21 Championship 4 years later.
That very same yr in 2022, Nuessle triumphed on the IBSF World Underneath-21 Championship, however by then tour playing cards weren’t being handed out for winners of IBSF-sanctioned occasions.
Within the Q Tour World Playoffs, he made positive that this chance wouldn’t slip by way of his fingers – turning into the primary participant from Austria to obtain a professional card.
Nuessle beat Joshua Thomond and Ehsan Heydari Nezhad within the opening phases earlier than hammering Andres Petrov 10-3 within the last spherical.
All three gamers will obtain two-year playing cards to take part on the World Snooker Tour throughout the upcoming 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.
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In 2024, whole prize cash on the principle tour exceeded £20 million.
“I really feel glad and relieved,” Florian Nuessle advised the WPBSA. “I’m glad for my household.”
“They’ve supported me all the best way and it wouldn’t be potential with out them, however the greatest half was proving it to myself as a result of I’m my harshest critic.”
“I believe I held myself collectively nicely and did the suitable issues on the proper moments which hasn’t all the time been the case previously.
“(The near-misses) have been positively on my thoughts – I’ve heard all of the tales of gamers not with the ability to recover from the road and also you don’t need that form of feeling to be carried round with you for too lengthy as a result of it will get heavier and heavier.”
“I hope it will assist to raise Austrian snooker. I’ve had many experiences on the tour already and I believe I can go on and, not solely keep on tour, however do some injury and hopefully win titles.”
Highfield, Hallworth, and Nuessle be a part of Zhao Xintong, who had already safeguarded his promotion by way of ending in first place on the 2024/25 Q Tour rankings.
The Chinese language star, making a comeback from his 18-month ban from the game, gained 4 occasions throughout the common Q Tour season.
All 4 gamers will moreover have the chance to compete on the upcoming World Snooker Championship qualifying competitors.
2025 Q Tour World Playoffs
Tour Card 1
Quarter-Finals
Dylan Emery 5-2 Ali Gharahgozlou
Mark Joyce 5-2 Connor Benzey
Steven Hallworth 5-3 Luo Honghao
Ryan Davies 5-4 Kuldesh Johal
Semi-Finals
Mark Joyce 6-2 Dylan Emery
Steven Hallworth 6-1 Ryan Davies
Closing
Steven Hallworth 10-5 Mark Joyce
Tour Card 2
Quarter-Finals
Liam Highfield 5-1 Habib Subah Humood
Harvey Chandler 5-0 Dhiones Moraes Arent
Iulian Boiko 5-2 Alex Crenshaw
Vinnie Calabrese 5-1 Craig Steadman
Semi-Finals
Liam Highfield 6-2 Harvey Chandler
Iulian Boiko 6-5 Vinnie Calabrese
Closing
Liam Highfield 10-3 Iulian Boiko
Tour Card 3
Quarter-Finals
Ehsan Heydari Nezhad 5-1 Ryan Thomerson
Florian Nuessle 5-3 Joshua Thomond
Oliver Sykes 5-1 Sean O’Sullivan
Andres Petrov 5-2 Vito Puopolo
Semi-Finals
Florian Nuessle 6-3 Ehsan Heydari Nezhad
Andres Petrov 6-3 Oliver Sykes
Closing
Florian Nuessle 10-3 Andres Petrov
Featured photograph credit score: WST
