Watch as Sam Craigie docked frame for lateness in bizarre moment that costs former youth world champion in bid to reach World Snooker Championship
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Published 12/04/2026 at 22:21 GMT+1
Of all the things that could have cost him the chance of competing at the World Snooker Championship - pressure, expectation, nerves - Sam Craigie likely did not expect his hopes to end due to poor timekeeping. The former youth world champion was docked a frame for returning to the table late after the interval, and it ultimately cost him dearly as he lost 10-9 to Umut Dikme in qualifying.
Craigie docked frame after late interval return before being eliminated from qualifying
Video credit: TNT Sports
Sam Craigie was left to rue his timekeeping after it cost him a potential appearance at the World Snooker Championship in bizarre circumstances.
The experienced Englishman was up against German amateur Umut Dikme in the second round of qualifying as he eyed just his second appearance at the sport’s showpiece event.
It was not to be as he fell to a 10-9 defeat, but the 32-year-old departed with plenty to regret after being docked a frame in a contest decided by wafer-thin margins.
There was nothing to split the two players when they went in at the mid-session interval tied at 2-2.
But referee Nico De Vos was unimpressed with how long Craigie took to return to the table and opted to award Dikme a frame. Â
Footage of the moment shows Craigie and De Vos involved in an animated discussion, with the referee heard saying: ”I have no choice.”
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Video credit: TNT Sports
The punishment initially seemed not to have knocked the Englishman off his stride as he motored into a 9-8 lead to go one frame from victory.
But Dikme then rattled off back-to-back frames with breaks of 103 and 72 to leave his opponent ruing his costly tardiness.
Craigie, who turned pro in 2011, has only qualified for the World Championship once, in 2020/21, when he lost in the first round.
He is a former world champion at Under-21 level, beating Li Hang of China in the 2010 final to join an illustrious rank of former winners that includes Ronnie O’Sullivan (1991), Ding Junhui (2002) and Neil Robertson (2003).
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The manner of his exit will come as a disappointment after runs to the fourth round of the Saudi Arabia Masters, third round of the Welsh Open and second round of the Championship League and World Open this season.
Dikme faces a tough task to make the main draw as he faces Jack Lisowski next in the third round of World Snooker Championship qualifying, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Monday’s qualifying third-round clashes will also involve the likes of Ali Carter, Gary Wilson and Jak Jones.
But one of the most intriguing ties sees former champion Luca Brecel conclude his match with Chang Bingyu of China, who leads 5-4.
Chang notched a 147 during their session on Sunday and, having done the same during UK Championship qualifying, earned a ÂŁ147,000 bonus for making two maximums across the four majors this season.
He also extended the record-extending seasonal tally of maximums in 2025/26 to 24, blowing away the previous record of 15. Â Â Â
Qualifying for the 2026 World Championship takes place between April 6-15, and is live on TNT Sports and HBO Max before the main event itself.
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