Stan Moody hopes his Crucible debut will be delayed by a couple of days after climbing off his sickbed to secure a ticket to the World Championship finals.

Such was the Halifax teenager's determination to make it to the home of snooker for the first time, he checked himself out of hospital despite suffering from tonsillitis and promptly beat China’s Jiang Jun 10-9 on Judgement Day in the qualifiers.

But now he needs a favour from the snooker gods and a midweek first-round encounter in Thursday morning’s first-round draw.

Currently on antibiotics, the 19-year-old will be hoping for a few extra days to recuperate, with the first-round spanning five days, Saturday to Wednesday, of this 17-day marathon.

placeholder image — Halifax's Stan Moody. Picture: WST

MC Rob Walker and former world champion Neil Robertson will be in the 5 Live studios for the first-round draw at 8.45am, with the 16 seeds drawn against 16 qualifiers.

Defending champion Zhao Xintong opens up on Saturday morning, with Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen on the neighbouring table.

But the first-round stretches until Wednesday evening, when Robertson makes his first appearance.

“I was in hospital yesterday, I can hardly talk now with tonsillitis,” Moody revealed after beating Jiang on Tuesday night at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport.

“The doctors said to me 'we know you are going to say no but we want you to stay in.' I said no, I've got a match to play. And I'm glad I did.

“They gave me some antibiotics and other medication. I won't be going back there, I don't like it!

“Towards the end of the match, I have never felt pressure like that in my life, I am just so happy.

“This has been a dream of mine since I started playing. To do it so young, I am over the moon. We will see what happens.”

Joining Moody in Thursday’s draw is York’s Liam Pullen, who beat Noppon Saengkham 10-8, but Leeds’ Oliver Lines failed to make it three Yorkshire debut-makers at the Crucible, as he lost his final qualifier 10-2 against Liam Highfield on Wednesday.

Pullen and Moody are rivals from their junior days – they played each other in the final of the WSF Junior Championship in 2023.

“When I saw Stan win, I thought I better not lose now, I'll let everyone down!” said Pullen.

“I am very proud, but I am still in the same tournament. I am going to go to the Crucible and try my best.”

Pullen was pegged back from 8-5 to 8-8, but held his nerve to clinch a 10-8 victory.

“I was just happy to get over the line,” he said. “It was a bit of a relief. I felt like I really played well unto 8-5, and then the game’s changing. I am just happy I stuck in there.

“I was annoyed to come out 5-4 (from the morning session), because I felt like I had played the best I have so far.

“This morning I actually felt quite nervous. Once I was out there I felt really good, up until 8-8. At 8-7, I missed the easiest red ever, then I have potted a long red, clipped off the brown and gone in-off. I was ‘oh my God’. Obviously, not ‘oh my God’ but with a few swear words. I am just so happy to get through.”

Asked if he will be watching Thursday morning’s draw, Pullen replied: “Of course I will, anyone who says no is a liar.”

Lines, 30, was looking to emulate his father, Peter, in playing at the Crucible but suffered a tough start against Highfield – who got off to a fast start with breaks of 126, 59, 69 and 75.

The 35-year-old from Stoke opened with a 126 clearance, and even though he stuttered on 59 in the second frame, Lines could not punish the error as he missed a pink to centre.

Both players had their chances in the third frame, but it was Highfield who cleared up the colours.

A missed red to the centre let in Highfield in frame four, and he capitalised with a 75 break to lead 4-0 at the mid-session interval.

Lines – who had beaten Mark Lloyd and Ben Woollaston in earlier qualifiers – struggled to get a foothold in the game, but finally got on the board in the seventh frame, after Highfield missed an easy brown, to make it 6-1.

But Highfield took the final frame of the morning session, with a break of 55, to lead 7-1. An opening 60 break in the evening made it 8-1, the pair traded the next two frames, before Lines’ fate was sealed as Highfield wrapped up a 10-2 win.

Sheffield-based Zhang Anda secured his Crucible return with a 10-3 win – including five century breaks – over Zak Surety.

Zhang – who is set to make a sixth Crucible appearance – was swiftly joined by fellow Chinese potters, Fan Zhengyi – who won 10-4 against Belgium's Ben Mertens – and He Guoqiang, after he overcame Jack Lisowski 10-5. Lei Peifan’s 10-5 win over Ryan Day meant a record 11 Chinese players will be in Thursday morning’s Crucible draw.

But former world champion Luca Brecel is out, losing 10-5 to Wales’ Jak Jones, who knocked in five century breaks.