'Stranded' amateur snooker star withdraws from World Open after Euro title denial
Umut Dikme is the latest player to withdraw from the 2026 World Open snooker event as he is unable to get there in time for his opening match.
The 26-year-old amateur was called up to the World Open qualifiers last month after world number three Neil Robertson elected to pull out from the £825,000 tournament.
Dikme was first reserve due to finishing first on last year's Q School order of merit top-up list, having narrowly been denied promotion to the professional circuit for the first time in his career.
Replacing Robertson in the first round/qualifying draw for the World Open, Dikme faced Oliver Brown at the Barnsley Metrodome in England, and registered four half-century breaks in a 5-4 win.
That result put Dikme through to the last 64 of the world ranking event, a stage that is played at the main venue in Yushan, China.
However, Dikme has been unable to attend the Far East for his next scheduled assignment against Xu Yichen, and has now withdrawn from the event, thus awarding his opponent with a walkover into the last 32.
The German had been taking part in the 2026 European Amateur Snooker Championship being held in Gandia, Spain.
One of the most prestigious titles on snooker's secondary circuit - that has been won by green baize stars such as Mark Allen and Luca Brecel in the past - the event also offers a two-year professional tour card to the winner.
Dikme, who was aiming to become the first German to reach the final, won all three of his group games to qualify for the knockout rounds at the Palace Hotel.
The former Q Tour event winner then eliminated opponents from Hungary, France, Scotland and Poland to reach the semi-finals. However, Dikme's challenge was ended there by English youngster Oliver Sykes who registered a 4-1 win.
As it transpired, that victory for Sykes was enough for him to earn the professional tour card on offer, as his final opponent, Anton Kazakov, already claimed one through winning the junior championship at the same venue a few days before.
Ukrainian Kazakov went on to complete an unprecedented European title double, with a 5-4 triumph in the final.
Following his last four loss in Spain on Saturday, Dikme soon went online to see if he could arrange travel plans to get to eastern China in time for his match against Xu scheduled for less than 48 hours later (Monday 02:00GMT).
However, due to the long-haul location of Yushan - which is far from straightforward to get to - Dikme had no other choice but to pull out from the competition.
Despite having won qualifying matches a few weeks ago in Barnsley, a spate of cueists have withdrawn from the World Open over the past several days. That list includes UK Champion Mark Selby and recent Welsh Open winner Barry Hawkins - who are both out on medical grounds - and ranking event title winners this season Chris Wakelin and Stephen Maguire.
The main venue, televised stages of the 2026 World Open run from Monday 16th to Sunday 22nd March. To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the event, visit here.