Matthew Stevens takes step towards Crucible return 

Former finalist Matthew Stevens eased into the penultimate round of World Championship qualifying with a 6-1 win over Gerard Greene on Friday.

Stevens, 44, was beaten in the 2000 and 2005 finals and reached the semi-finals on four further occasions.

Five half-centuries, including a concluding break of 94, sealed victory for the Welshman who will next face Sam Craigie in his bid to reach the Crucible for the first time since 2020.

James Cahill, who famously beat Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible in 2019, won the last three frames to edge Mark Davis 6-5 and hang onto his professional tour card into the bargain.

But the dream run of Ukrainian teenager Iulian Boiko came to an end as he was beaten 6-4 by the experienced David Grace.

Meanwhile, the World Snooker Tour confirmed the suspension of Liang Wenbo following his conviction for assault, giving Dominic Dale a bye into the final round of qualifying.