The draw has been made for the World Skilled Billiards and Snooker Affiliation (WPBSA) Q Tour World Play-Offs, the place gamers will compete for a trio of two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) playing cards.
The celebrated occasion might be held alongside the EBSA European Championships in Antalya, Turkey from 11-13 March 2025.
A complete of 24 gamers have certified from the WPBSA Q Tour sequence’ in Europe, the Center East, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific area in addition to one nomination by the Chinese language Billiards and Snooker Affiliation (CBSA).
The cueists have been break up into three sections of eight and the participant coming by way of every will earn their skilled standing for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.
Play-Off 1
Quarter-Finals (Better of 9 Frames)
- Dylan Emery (Wales) vs. Ali Gharagozlou (Iran)
- Connor Benzey (England) vs. Mark Joyce (England)
- Steven Hallworth (England) vs. Luo Honghao (China)
- Kuldesh Johal (England) vs. Ryan Davies (England)
Semi-Finals (Better of 11 Frames)
- Emery/Gharagozlou vs. Benzey/Joyce
- Hallworth/Luo vs. Johal/Davies
Ultimate (Better of 19 Frames)
- Winner of Semi-Ultimate 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Ultimate 2
Wales’ Dylan Emery is the highest seed after ending second within the Q Tour Europe rating checklist, behind solely four-time occasion winner Zhao Xintong, because of profitable the second title of the season in Bulgaria and ending runner-up to Liam Highfield in occasion seven.
He faces a tricky opening spherical tie in opposition to Iran’s Ali Gharagozlou, who completed on the summit of the Q Tour Center East rating checklist by profitable back-to-back titles within the United Arab Emirates.
Former professionals Mark Joyce, Steven Hallworth and Kuldesh Johal are joined by Connor Benzey and Ryan Davies as qualifiers from Q Tour Europe within the prime part whereas Luo Honghao, a former World Snooker Federation (WSF) champion who reached the televised phases of the World Championship in 2019, completes the line-up because the CBSA nomination.
Play-Off 2
Quarter-Finals (Better of 9 Frames)
- Liam Highfield (England) vs. Habib Humood (Bahrain)
- Dhimones Moraes (Brazil) vs. Harvey Chandler (England)
- Iulian Boiko (Ukraine) vs. Alex Clenshaw (England)
- Vinnie Calabrese (Australia) vs. Craig Steadman (England)
Semi-Finals (Better of 11 Frames)
- Highfield/Humood vs. Moraes/Chandler
- Boiko/Clenshaw vs. Calabrese/Steadman
Ultimate (Better of 19 Frames)
- Winner of Semi-Ultimate 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Ultimate 2
A trio of Q Tour occasion winners from throughout the globe function in a robust second part the place 5 nations and 4 continents are represented.
Liam Highfield, who gained the seventh and closing Q Tour Europe occasion of the season earlier this month, is aiming for a fast return to the World Snooker Tour after an unbroken 14-year spell got here to an finish final 12 months.
He’s joined within the second part by Australia’s Vinnie Calabrese and Bahrain’s Habib Humood, who completed prime of the Q Tour Asia-Pacific and Center East rating lists because of profitable all however one of many occasions of their particular person areas.
Humood might be hoping to observe within the footsteps of Amir Sarkhosh and Mohammed Shehab, who every earned skilled standing as qualifiers from the Center East sequence 12 months in the past.
Former professionals Harvey Chandler, Iulian Boiko and Craig Steadman have certified from the Europe sequence, in addition to England’s Alex Clenshaw, whereas Brazil’s Dhimones Moraes will compete because the Q Tour Americas sequence’ South American nomination.
Play-Off 3
Quarter-Finals (Better of 9 Frames)
- Ryan Thomerson (Australia) vs. Ehsan Heydari Nezhad (Iran)
- Josh Thomond (England) vs. Florian Nuessle (Austria)
- Sean O’Sullivan (England) vs. Oliver Sykes (England)
- Vito Puopolo (Canada) vs. Andres Petrov (Estonia)
Semi-Finals (Better of 11 Frames)
- Thomerson/Nezhad vs. Thomond/Nuessle
- O’Sullivan/Sykes vs. Puopolo/Petrov
Ultimate (Better of 19 Frames)
- Winner of Semi-Ultimate 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Ultimate 2
Estonia’s Andres Petrov, the primary Q Tour Europe occasion winner of the season, headlines the third and closing part of the play-offs which options opponents from six nations.
Petrov will face Canada’s Vito Puopolo, who gained an occasion on the Q Tour Americas sequence in Toronto, whereas the opposite six contenders have certified by way of the Europe sequence.
Former skilled Ryan Thomerson completed fourth within the Europe rating checklist and can face Iran’s Ehsan Heydari Nezhad, who reached the ultimate in Stockholm, whereas the line-up is accomplished by Josh Thomond, Sean O’Sullivan and Oliver Sykes from England in addition to Austrian nationwide champion Florian Nuessle.
The WPBSA Q Tour World Play-Offs will happen on 11-13 March and you may observe the occasion by way of WPBSA SnookerScores and watch dwell on the WPBSA Fb web page and YouTube channel.
