WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: THE QUALIFIERS

The qualifiers for the Betfair World Championship have finished and a varied group of players have made it to the Crucible, easily digestible in three groups...

THE DEBUTANTS

By far the most exciting group, the debutants number six this year, the most since 1999.

Leading the pack for me is Jack Lisowski, who we saw come good at the China Open, where he beat Judd Trump en route to the quarter-finals. Lisowski no longer deserves to be known as Trump’s friend and practice partner. He’s a considerable talent in his own right. He looks like a star to me and can realise that potential on the biggest stage of them all. It won’t be easy because the pressure will be all new to him, but Lisowski could cause some real damage.

Michael White is similarly deadly in the balls and has qualified this year as his good friend Jamie Jones did last year (Jones reached the quarter-finals). White doesn’t have much TV experience but is a dangerously talented potter.

Ben Woollaston has quietly been improving these last couple of years. He held himself together well to edge Ryan Day in a decider on Saturday night.

Matt Selt also came through in a decider after his 9-4 lead over comeback king Ken Doherty was wiped out. Selt is a confident, disciplined player. In some ways his scare against Doherty may help prepare him for the pressures to come.

Dechawat Poomjaeng is a bit of an unknown quantity. He has qualified from round one and becomes the third Thai, after James Wattana and Tai Pichit, to play at the Crucible. His style is methodical and he has an inscrutable manner which could help him get under a players' skins.

Sam Baird, relegated last season but a returnee through Q School, reached the last 16 of this season’s Welsh Open and, like Poomjaeng, won four matches to qualify, a considerable effort. He will also be taking a step into unchartered territory, a sink or swim environment with the game’s big fishes.

THE REGULARS

Some familiar faces are once again at the Crucible this year. Peter Ebdon grafted long into the night to beat Kurt Maflin 10-8 and secure a 22nd successive appearance, a fine achievement by the 2002 champion.

Dominic Dale makes his eighth appearance and third in succession after easing past Alfie Burden. Mark Davis, Martin Gould, Marcus Campbell and Mark King are no strangers to the treading the Crucible carpet, whatever colour it is.

The real dangerman from this group is Marco Fu, a World Championship semi-finalist in 2006 and runner-up in the German Masters this season. Fu is right up there as one of the qualifiers the top 16 seeds will want to avoid.

BACK AFTER THE BREAK

There are some players returning to Sheffield after absences since their last visit. Michael Holt is back for the first time since 2010 after holding off Mark Joyce 10-7 having led 8-0.

Alan McManus, a semi-finalist in 1992 and 1993, won three matches to qualify for the first time since 2006. Robert Milkins ended Jimmy White’s hopes 10-5 and is back for the first time since 2005.

The draw for the first round takes place on Monday from 1.30pm UK time on Talksport, the commercial sports station.