Former winner Stuart Bingham eliminated from World Championship by resurgent Michael Holt

Bingham won snooker's blue riband event a decade ago in 2015 when he ousted Judd Trump 17-16 in a thrilling semi-final on his one-table debut at the Crucible before recovering from 8-4 down to defeat Shaun Murphy 18-15 in the final and claim the sport's ultimate prize.

During last year's Championship, Bingham won two qualifying matches to reach the main draw where he eliminated Gary Wilson and Jack Lisowski in the opening two rounds, before ending the hopes of seven-time title winner Ronnie O'Sullivan 13-10 in the quarter-finals. It was the second time in Bingham's career that he had disposed of O'Sullivan at the Crucible - the other time was also at the last eight stage, during his victorious year.

Fellow qualifier Jak Jones stopped Bingham's run in 2024 with a 17-12 win in the semi-finals.

Englishman Bingham arrived for his latest world title tilt having reached the final of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong last month - his first appearance in a ranking event final for nearly six years. However, it was a tie to forget for the 48-year-old who was whitewashed 10-0 by Neil Robertson in the title tie.

Despite that one-sided outcome, many would have expected Bingham to continue his general good form and qualify for the World Championship main draw, but the world number 19 now faces missing out on the Crucible for the first time since 2010.

A match split across afternoon sessions, Holt registered a trio of half-century breaks as he built a 5-4 advantage from Sunday's play. Returning on Monday, he won three of the first four frames to lead 8-5. Bingham pulled one back, but efforts of 63 and 130 in the next two frames sent Holt through to the final qualifying round.

On Wednesday in Judgement Day part two, Holt will face fellow former ranking event winner Fan Zhengyi. The Chinese cueist fashioned breaks of 104, 133 and 123 in a 10-6 victory over Robbie Williams.

It has been a season of resurgence for 46-year-old Holt, who was relegated from the professional tour in 2022 after a long, unbroken spell on snooker's top tier. Last year, Holt came top of the Q Tour rankings - snooker's secondary circuit - to earn back his professional stripes.

On his return to the big time this season, Holt won six consecutive matches as he made the quarter-finals of the 2024 UK Championship where he bowed out to World Champion Kyren Wilson - a quarter of a century on from his previous last eight appearance in the Triple Crown event.

Holt - who defeated Oliver Lines 10-8 in the second qualifying round last week - is now one more win away from a ninth Crucible appearance and his first since 2016 when he dispatched Neil Robertson in round one before going out to Mark Williams in the last 16.

Following his victory over Bingham, on his qualification campaign Holt told the World Snooker Tour: "It's a funny one. There's a slightly different atmosphere. I think you can just sense it. The Crucible is such a special place to play snooker. You never forget it, whether it has been good or bad. You just want to get there. It is a twitchy game, you have to put it to the back of your mind and get to ten."

Anthony Hamilton facing Q School trip after qualifying exit

Anthony Hamilton will have to earn a tour card from Q School in several weeks time if he is to play on the World Snooker Tour next season and extend his unbroken spell on the professional circuit that started in 1991.

The 53-year-old is out of this year's World Championship after a 10-3 defeat to Matthew Selt in the third qualifying round.

Former German Masters champion Hamilton survived a huge scare in the second qualifying round a few days ago when he finally got the better of Steven Hallworth 10-8, having led 9-0. It took a gutsy counter clearance of 69 from Hamilton to avoid a decider and win the contest on the final black in frame 18.

Efforts of 51, 82 and 90 helped Hamilton hold on to Selt early on in their match as the opening six frames were shared.

However, from 3-3, Selt went on a seven-frame winning streak - posting contributions of 102, 62 and 82 along the way - to book a spot in the final qualifying round where he will play Jimmy Robertson for a Crucible berth.

Robertson squeezed past teenager Stan Moody 10-9 elsewhere in the same session.

Elimination for Hamilton means he will finish the season outside of the world’s top 64 rankings, and as he is not in contention to keep his tour card via the one-year list either, the former world number 10 can only retain his professional place for the 2025/26 season if he succeeds at the upcoming Q School - an event open to all players without a pro tour card.

Earlier this year, Hamilton declared that he would attend Q School if he needed to.

For all the results and the full draw for the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifying rounds, please visit our information centre here.