Ding Junhui receives major boost in bid to book World Snooker Championship spot after Stuart Bingham and Jack Lisowski World Open exits
Updated 18/03/2026 at 14:26 GMT
Ding Junhui famously reached the 2016 World Championship final as a qualifier, losing 18-14 to Mark Selby, but his hopes of avoiding a return to qualifying a decade on were boosted by results at the World Open. With closest rivals Stuart Bingham and Jack Lisowki both out of contention, Ding is suddenly looking good to secure the 16th and final seeding for the sport's biggest event in Sheffield.
O'Sullivan completes whitewash victory over Selt to set up Murphy clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ding Junhui received a major boost in his hopes of securing a spot at the World Championship without playing a shot at the World Open in Yushan.
Ding needs results to go his way at the season's final ranking event of the season in China to avoid having to qualify for the sport's biggest tournament in Sheffield, which takes place April 18 to May 4, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
And 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham's 5-4 defeat to Wu Yize on Wednesday, after Jack Lisowski's 5-1 loss to Mark Allen in the World Open last 32, has done his Crucible prospects no harm.
Ding is the 16th seed for the World Championship, but 17th-seed Bingham and Lisowski in 18th spot will have to negotiate two rounds of qualifiers - between April 6-15 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, also on TNT Sports and HBO Max - after their exits at the World Open.
Bingham would have needed a run to the last eight to deny Ding, with Lisowski requiring a final spot to keep alive his hopes, but both are now out of contention to reach the top 16.
A 5-2 defeat to Marco Fu in the second round of World Open qualifiers in Barnsley last month left Ding's fate out of his hands.
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Air Xintong! Zhao pulls off stunning pot while holding rest above table
Video credit: TNT Sports
The former UK and Masters champion can't add to his total after failing to qualify for the Tour Championship in Manchester, with Zhang Anda and Zhou Yuelong both in contention if they book their trip to the season's penultimate ranking event via the one-year ranking list.
Zhou - who in 23rd spot is 129,600 points behind Ding - needs a win over Allen in the last 16 and a run to the World Open final to qualify for the Tour Championship.
Zhang needs a final spot at the World Open to keep alive his hopes of an automatic Crucible spot via the Tour Championship.
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A title win for either player would be enough to topple Ding as a top-16 seed, while former Crucible semi-finalist Gary Wilson, in 28th spot, needs to claim the title in Yushan to avoid having to qualify for the World Championship.
The World Open runs between March 16-22, live on TNT Sports and on-demand on discovery+.
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the World Open, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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