Former world champion Ken Doherty misses out on chance to return to Crucible after loss to Mark King

The 1997 world champion kept alive his professional snooker career with victory against Fraser Patrick on Friday, but this meeting with King proved a step too far for the 50-year-old.

Doherty was 3-1 down at the mid-session interval after a 125 break from his Romford rival, but the Irishman fought back with a break of 80 in frame six before he also won frame seven.

King’s class told in the end though and he came through to set up a meeting with Ian Burns tomorrow when a win for King will book him a return to the Crucible for the first time since 2013.

Earlier in the day it was confirmed of the 202 tests carried out on players, officials and staff at the qualifying event, they all returned negative for Covid-19.

On Saturday, Jimmy White fell short in his latest bid to return to the World Championship as he was beaten by Robert Milkins in the penultimate qualifying round.

The six-time finalist, who has not competed at the Crucible since 2006, lost 6-1 to Milkins.

A crucial moment came when White, at 3-1 down, sunk the cue ball while potting a black that would have won him the frame.

The third qualifying round also saw last year’s surprise semi-finalist Gary Wilson crash out after losing 6-3 to Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher.

Ursenbacher, bidding to become the first player from his country to play in the World Championship, fired his highest professional break of 141 in the opening frame and was never behind in the match.

Ali Carter, the 2008 and 2012 runner-up, was another to exit, being defeated 6-3 by Louis Heathcote.

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