David Gilbert and Stephen Maguire set for World Championship qualifiers after withdrawing from World Open as Ronnie O'Sullivan receives boost
Published 12/03/2026 at 10:42 GMT
Former World Championship semi-finalists David Gilbert and Stephen Maguire will need to win two qualifiers to reach the Crucible this year, after pulling out of the World Open in Yushan. Only winning the title or reaching the final would have been good enough to muscle in on the top 16 for the sport's biggest event. Chris Wakelin has also pulled out of the season's final event in China.
Watch as Maguire eats fly off table during quarter-final at Crucible
Video credit: TNT Sports
Stephen Maguire, David Gilbert and Chris Wakelin have all pulled out of the World Open, which gets underway in Yushan on Monday, March 16, live on TNT Sports and on-demand on discovery+.
While world No. 13 Wakelin is set to take his spot among the top 16 seeds for the World Championship (April 18-May 4), Gilbert and Maguire, ranked 24th and 25th respectively, will need to win two qualifiers to return to snooker's biggest event.
The two men have twice reached the last four at the Crucible, but have not qualified via the one-year list for the 12-player Tour Championship in Manchester (March 30-April 5), the penultimate ranking event of the 2025/26 campaign.
Qualifying for the World Championship will be staged at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, between April 6-15.
Wakelin is ninth on the one-year list and is looking good to take his place at the Tour event without competing at the World Open.
Maguire was due to face Xu Si in his tournament opener at the World Open, with Gilbert scheduled to meet Matt Selt and Wakelin up against Artemijs Zizins. All three players receive a bye to the last 32.
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Mark Selby and new Welsh Open champion Barry Hawkins withdrew from the World Open on medical grounds, but are due to return at the Tour Championship.
Chris Totten also pulled out. with Mark Lloyd pencilled in as his replacement ahead of a daunting first-round match with world No. 1 Judd Trump on Monday morning at 11:30 GMT.
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Meanwhile, Ronnie O'Sullivan will play his first match since a 5-3 defeat to Xiao Guodong in the World Grand Prix last 16 in Hong Kong. He takes on Ross Muir at 06:30 GMT on Monday.
The winner of that match will progress straight to the last 32 via a bye after second-round opponent Ishpreet Singh Chadha also withdrew from the event.
John Higgins is defending the title after his 10-6 win over Joe O'Connor in last year's final.
The World Open will be staged between March 16-22, live on TNT Sports and on-demand on discovery+.
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Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the World Championship, live on TNT Sports.
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