Antrim native Jordan Brown has qualified for the World Snooker Championship for the first time at the age of 32 after coming through three qualifying rounds.
Brown was ranked 73rd in the world coming but defied that beat 36th ranked Ryan Day 10-6 and advance to the tournament proper at the Crucible, which begins on Friday.
Brown will join practice partner Mark Allen as the only Irishmen at the event after Ken Doherty, Fergal O'Brien and Gerard Greene bowed out over the last couple of days.
World no 4 Allen tweeted: "Couldn't be happier for my big mate. Come through a very tough section too. Starting to show the promise I’ve been seeing for so long in practice. So proud of him. Let’s hope we avoid each other in tomorrow’s draw."
Brown is one of five players who will make their World Championship debut this year as Ashley Carty ,Elliot Slessor, Swiss Alexander Ursebacher and Jamie Clarke also line up in today's first round draw.
He was a professional for one season in 2009/10 after winning the Northern Ireland Amateur Championships but lost his tour card after that and only rejoined the tour in 2018.
Winning in the first round could guarantee his tour card for next season.
Couldn't be happier for my big mate. Come through a very tough section too. Starting to show the promise I’ve been seeing for so long in practice. So proud of him. Let’s hope we avoid each other in tomorrow’s draw https://t.co/iVzlVoMOKP
— Mark Allen (@pistol147) July 28, 2020
Meanwhile, Scotsman Anthony McGill hopes his Crucible "history" can inspire him to top form after qualifying for the World Championship.
Glasgow's McGill cruised past Sam Baird 10-1 on Tuesday night, to book his place at The Crucible in style - conceding just two frames in qualifying.
The 2015 quarter-finalist admitted relief at reaching the tournament proper, then insisted he still has to sharpen up, with the first round action starting on Friday.
"It's not as if I've got no results there at all, I've beaten world champions there," said McGill, who shocked defending champion Mark Selby in the first round five years ago.
"I've got history, so hopefully I can go there and give it a good go next week.
"I'm over the moon to qualify, but there's relief in there too. I've got good memories of the tournament, and it's good to be back."
