From hospital to Crucible - teenager Moody qualifies

British teenager Stan Moody secured his place at the World Snooker Championship for the first time, a day after discharging himself from hospital.

Moody, 19, had been struggling with tonsillitis but managed to beat China's Jiang Jun 10-9 on Tuesday, with a break of 104 in the deciding frame to qualify for the Crucible.

"I was in hospital yesterday," said Moody. "They said 'we know you're going to say no, but we want you to stay in', but I said 'no, I have a match to play tomorrow', so it was never really in question.

"I've been given a load of antibiotics so I'm on the mend. I couldn't talk yesterday or eat or drink, so I've come a long way. They said if it gets worse, come back.

"I'm normally good under pressure but in that last frame I've never felt pressure so much in my life, I'm so happy."

Yorkshireman Moody, who hails from Halifax, will become the first British teenager to make his Crucible debut since a 17-year-old Judd Trump in 2007.

Moody will not be the only young player from Yorkshire making his debut in Sheffield as 20-year-old Liam Pullen from York also booked his place, beating Thailand's Noppon Saengkham 10-8.

Pullen had earlier been on course for a maximum 147, but after potting 14 reds he missed the 14th black, with the break ending on 105.

If he had made a 147 he would have earned £147,000 - for making two maximums across the major events in one season - something China's Chang Bingyu did on Monday after his 147 in his loss to former world champion Luca Brecel.

"It is a bit of a shame about the max," said Pullen, who had to win four matches to qualify.

"I'm very proud I'm still in the tournament and I'm going to go to the Crucible and try my best."

Former world champion Stuart Bingham failed to qualify as he lost 10-7 against two-time runner-up Matthew Stevens.

Bingham, 49, won the title in 2015 but is 17th in the world rankings, with only the top 16 qualifying automatically, meaning he had to go through two qualifying rounds.

But 48-year-old Welshman Stevens, who lost in the final in 2000 and 2005, claimed his place in the main tournament at the Crucible for the first time since 2022.

"I can still play a little bit, which I proved today and I'm really happy," said Stevens, who is 48th in the rankings. "It's nice to be back, I'm nearly 50 and I don't play as much as I used to.

"I was relaxed and Stuart didn't play at his our best, otherwise he would've beaten me."

England's David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in 2019 and 2024, was another British qualifier after winning 10-6 against Aaron Hill of the Republic of Ireland.

Iran's Hossein Vafaei qualified for a fifth successive year thanks to a 10-4 win over Gao Yang of China.

"This morning I was not well at all," said Vafaei. "It wasn't a great match, my opponent is hungry and young and he is my practice partner - every day I practise with him and he's such a great talent, but we didn't play that well.

"I'm fighting as well for my country, for my family and I'm trying my best and will give it my all. The Crucible is a fantastic place for snooker and we love to play in front of snooker lovers, especially at the Crucible."

Antoni Kowalski, 22, will be the first player from Poland to play at the finals after he beat Wales' Jamie Jones 10-8.

Kowalski, who would have lost his tour card with defeat, was in tears after the victory.

"I never cry, so that's the perfect explanation of what it means to me," he said. "I'm going to realise one of my biggest dreams and play at the 'Theatre of Dreams'.

"I'm not based in the UK so it is more special, and my girlfriend and my parents will come to the Crucible. At the end of the first session and beginning of the second I was absolutely gone, then I stopped thinking, turned off my brain and just played."

Elsewhere, Chinese duo Zhou Yuelong and Pang Junxu qualified, defeating England's Michael Holt 10-4 and Wales' Jackson Page 10-8 respectively.

The final eight places will be decided on Wednesday. Belgium's Brecel, the 2023 champion, plays 2024 runner-up Jak Jones of Wales in the pick of the matches.

Two-time Crucible finalist Ali Carter is also in action, as is Jack Lisowski, who won his first ranking tournament in October with victory at the Northern Ireland Open.

The first round begins on Saturday, with the final starting on Sunday, 3 May and concluding the next day - with full coverage of the tournament live on the BBC.

The draw will feature the top 16 and 16 qualifiers, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live at 08:45 BST on Thursday.

Tuesday's results (first to 10)

Wednesday's fixtures