World Championship snooker: Jack Lisowski coasts into final qualifying round with win over Jimmy White's conqueror

ByEurosport

Updated 14/04/2024 at 07:45 GMT

'Jackpot' Jack Lisowski showed why he will be a man to avoid if he can reach the World Championship by hitting four centuries in a 10-4 win over young Chinese talent Liu Hongyu on Saturday at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Qualifying for the tournament began on April 8 and runs until April 17. The main tournament itself will be held at the Crucible between April 20 and May 6.

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Jack Lisowski moved one win away from booking his place at the World Championship with a 10-4 success against world No. 80 Liu Hongyu, who had ended Jimmy White's hopes with a 10-3 victory in the second qualifying round.

Needing two victories to secure his spot at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield alongside the top 16 seeds, world No. 17 Lisowski produced some exceptional scoring form to end Liu's dream at the nearby English Institute of Sport.

The Gloucester potter produced four century breaks in the match to secure a meeting with two-time world finalist Matthew Stevens, who was a 10-6 winner over Jimmy Robertson.

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'Jackpot' showed why he reached the last eight in 2022 with two 104 breaks, 100, 72 and 71 helping him ease 5-0 clear.

Liu claimed his first frame of the match with an 82, but Lisowski continued to storm ahead with further knocks of 50, 60, 89 and a closing 142 finishing off a strong day's work.

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Elsewhere, recent Welsh Open finalist Martin O'Donnell suffered a surprise 10-7 defeat to world No. 102 Ma Hailong in the second qualifying round.

World No. 62 O'Donnell levelled at 4-4 from 4-1 adrift and closed to 7-6 from 7-4 behind, but won only one of the final four frames as Ma progressed to a meeting with compatriot Cao Yupeng on Sunday and Monday.

2023 world seniors finalist Alfie Burden kept alive his hopes of reaching for the Crucible for the first time since 1998 with a 10-3 win over world No. 55 Xu Si that saw him produce a century and three breaks over 50 in a dominant performance.