World Championship 2025: Ali Carter set to lead stunning field of Crucible icons in strongest-ever qualifying event
By Desmond Kane
Updated 13/03/2025 at 11:16 GMT
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World Championship qualifying is shaping up to be another brutal examination of green baize hopes and fears with an array of leading figures having to earn the right to return to the main stage. Two-time finalist Ali Carter is set to lead a potting platoon of Crucible heroes bidding to avoid a minefield at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, April 7-16, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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The impending World Championship qualifiers in Sheffield are set to contain a who's who of the modern game with former world champions, finalists and form horses bidding to navigate a potential minefield of exploding dreams.
Stuart 'Ballrun' Bingham's run to the World Grand Prix final in Hong Kong on Sunday ensured two-time world finalist Ali Carter, who slipped out of the world's top 16 as a result, will have to earn his right to return to the sport's biggest stage.
The 2024 Masters finalist cannot add to his points total, having failed to qualify for the Players Championship and Tour Championship, the two final ranking events before the World Championship, via the sport's one-year list.
But the world No. 18 will not be alone when the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield again stages the cut-throat spectre of the qualifiers between April 7-16, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
2015 world champion Bingham is not out of the woods, and needs a run at the Players Championship in Telford next week, otherwise he will line up alongside Carter in the qualifiers.
He faces a daunting opener against Neil Robertson at the Players, who whitewashed him 10-0 in the final in Hong Kong, but can take reassurance from his run to the Crucible semi-finals in 2021 and 2024 after being forced to qualify.
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Like Carter, Jak Jones, who lost last year's final 18-14 to Kyren Wilson, is also in danger of being forced to qualify for this year's 49th annual Crucible gathering of snooker's finest men and women.
Jones occupies 16th spot in the latest seedings for the Crucible, but could be overtaken by a strong performance from Bingham, Chris Wakelin, Wu Yize or Lei Peifan at the Players Championship or Tour Championship.
Masters champion Shaun Murphy was also in danger of being forced to qualify, but his run to the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix is likely to secure his spot among the top 16 with guaranteed prize money at the Players and Tour events secured.
For others, the return journey to the Crucible at least appears more cut and dried amid a formidable examination in qualifying.
Former Scottish and Welsh Open champion Gary Wilson will have to negotiate two matches in qualifying alongside Shoot Out champion Tom Ford, while last year's semi-finalist David Gilbert will also be involved in the qualifiers.
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The exhaustive cast list continues with six-time ranking event runner-up Jack Lisowski and recent Welsh Open finalist Stephen Maguire, a two-time Crucible semi-finalist also forced to navigate the choppy waters of two qualifying matches for those situated between 17th and 48th in the world rankings.
Joe O'Connor enjoyed a run to the World Open final before losing 10-6 to John Higgins, but that is not enough to spare him a qualifying trip to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Ranking event winners Ryan Day, Matthew Selt, Robert Milkins, Ricky Walden, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Joe Perry and Anthony McGill will all have to revisit their form of yesteryear to return to the Crucible.
And there is also the serious prospect of former UK champion Zhao Xintong, who will return to the professional ranks next season, emulating his run to the last 32 of the UK Championship playing under amateur status.
"Next season is very important for me, so I will keep practising every day," he said. "I will play in the World Championship this year and I will do my best to get back to the Crucible – it is everybody’s dream to play there!"
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Meanwhile, 2006 world champion Graeme Dott, 1997 Crucible winner Ken Doherty, two-time runner-up Matthew Stevens and six-time world finalist Jimmy White will all be involved in the earlier rounds of qualifying alongside women's world champion Bai Yulu.
White is set to start in the first round of the qualifiers, and needs to win four matches to make his first appearance at the Crucible since 2006.
The top 16 seeds will be drawn alongside the 16 successful qualifiers, with Kyren Wilson defending his title as top seed.
The World Championship begins on Saturday, April 16 and runs until Monday, May 5, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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