Snooker's World Championship: Race to the Crucible cues off in Sheffield

Former world champion Mark Williams may have tagged himself as a “decent outside bet” to regain the title – after winning the Johnstone's Paint Tour Championship on Sunday night – when the 17-day tournament cues off in Sheffield a week on Saturday.

But at the city’s English Institute of Sport, two miles down the road from the Crucible and away from the spotlight, those players outside of the world’s top 16 must battle through upto four qualifying rounds for a coveted finals spot.

The first of the 128 players arrived yesterday – the qualifiers run to April 17 – including Sheffield’s Adam Duffy, who must win four matches to become the first player from the Steel City to compete in the World Championship at the Crucible.

The 35-year-old leads/trails Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut in their best-of-19 match after their opening session on Monday afternoon, and return to complete the contest on Tuesday.

The prize for the winner is a second-round meeting with York’s Ashley Hugill – who lives and trains in Sheffield – on Thursday. Hugill, 29, trains at Victoria’s Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

Former world champions Neil Robertson and Stuart Bingham – no longer safeguarded in the world’s top 16 – enter the qualifiers in the latter rounds.

It’s arguably the strongest ever qualifying field, with the likes of Jack Lisowski, Stephen Maguire, Si Jiahui and Anthony McGill all forced to compete at the EIS.

Yorkshire’s teenage duo Stan Moody and Liam Pullen – who competed in last year’s World Junior Championship final in Australia – are also in action on Wednesday.

Halifax’s Moody, 17, comes up against UAE’s Mohamed Shehab, while York’s Pullen, 18, faces Ukraine’s Anton Kazakov. If Pullen can win his opening match, he faces Leeds' Sanderson Lam, 30, in the second round on Friday.

Father and son Peter and Oliver Lines – also from Leeds – return for another crack at qualifying. Peter, 54, plays Egypt’s Mohamed Ibrahim in the first round on Wednesday, while son Oliver, 28, joins in the second round, when he meets either Louis Heathcote or Oliver Sykes on Thursday.

Rotherham’s Ashley Carty, 28, tackles Scotland’s Liam Graham in the first round on Wednesday, while Leeds potter David Grace, 38, faces either Rory Thor or Hamza Ilyas when he enters at the second round stage on Wednesday.

Already assured of a Crucible place is 49-year-old Williams, the three-time world champion will arrive in Sheffield in fine form after beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-5 in the final of the Tour Championship in Manchester at the weekend.

The Welshman battled back from 5-3 down to win the 26th ranking title of his career.

Williams, upto world No 6 in the rankings, said: "I am going there (the Crucible) with a chance, this win gives me more confidence. I wouldn't say I am one of the favourites, but I might be a decent outside bet."

"He was unbelievable to go 5-3 up. The interval came at the right time for me because if he had carried on like that there was no stopping him. Tonight I put pressure on him, I won seven frames in a row and there's not many people who do that against Ronnie.

" I have been going for ridiculous shots all week. I said to (coach) Lee Walker, if I lose I am going out my way, going for crazy shots. That's how I enjoy it.”

O'Sullivan added: "Mark has been so consistent over the last five years, he hits the ball so well and very rarely plays a bad match. If he dedicated his life to it he could probably be No 1 in the world, but he doesn't - he likes to chill out, play golf and enjoy his life!”

Tickets, priced £12 per day, are available for the qualifying rounds. Session times are 10am, 2.30pm and 7pm for the first three rounds, then 11am and 5pm for Judgement Day.