Joe Perry beats close friend Mark Davis 10-9 to reach World Snooker Championship after opponent misses pink in final frame; Davis needed to win to retain tour card and must now come through Q School to maintain professional status; World Snooker Championship runs from April 15 to May 1
Thursday 13 April 2023 07:27, UK
Joe Perry said he felt "physically sick" for Mark Davis after qualifying for the World Snooker Championship at his close friend's expense following a dramatic 10-9 victory in Sheffield.
Perry potted the final two balls in the deciding frame after Davis had missed the pink in a game he needed to win to retain his place on the World Snooker Tour for next season.
Davis, 50, will now need to come through Q School to regain his professional status.
Perry, who reached the World Championship semi-finals in 2008, said: "I don't know what to feel. Mark was clearing up and we all know what was at stake for him. He did all the hard work but missed [the pink] and I came to the table.
"I felt physically sick for him - it was a horrible feeling because he's one of my best friends.
"I should be absolutely delighted and over the moon, but it's weird. I'm chuffed to bits to go to the Crucible, but the way it's happened I just feel so sick for him."
The draw for the World Championship takes place on Thursday morning with the competition to run from April 15 to May 1.
Ronnie O'Sullivan will be looking to claim a record eighth title in the event having matched Stephen Hendry's seven world crowns by beating Judd Trump 18-13 in the 2022 final.
Four Chinese players - Pang Junxu, Si Jiahui, Wu Yize and Fan Zhengyi - are among the five Crucible debutants in 2023, in a year in which 10 of their compatriots, including Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong, are facing charges related to match-fixing.
Ryan Day progressed to the first round on Wednesday night after opponent Scott Donaldson was forced to retire due to leg tremors having lost the first four frames, with Day subsequently handed a 10-0 victory.
