British teenager Stan Moody has secured a dramatic first-ever appearance at the World Snooker Championship, achieving the feat just one day after discharging himself from hospital.
The 19-year-old from Halifax battled through tonsillitis to defeat China's Jiang Jun 10-9 in a tense qualifying match on Tuesday, sealing victory with a decisive 104 break in the final frame.
"I was in hospital yesterday," Moody revealed. "They wanted me to stay, but I told them I had a match to play. I've been given antibiotics and I'm recovering—yesterday I couldn't even talk or eat, so this is a massive turnaround. In that last frame, I've never felt pressure like it in my life. I'm just so happy."
Moody's qualification makes him the first British teenager to debut at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield since a 17-year-old Judd Trump in 2007.
He won't be the only young Yorkshire talent making a first appearance. Twenty-year-old Liam Pullen from York also earned his place, beating Thailand's Noppon Saengkham 10-8. Pullen came agonizingly close to a maximum 147 break during the match, potting 14 reds before missing the 14th black to end on 105.
"It's a bit of a shame about the maximum," Pullen admitted. "But I'm very proud to still be in the tournament. I'm going to the Crucible to try my best."
In other qualifying drama, two-time finalist Matthew Stevens, 48, defeated former world champion Stuart Bingham 10-7 to return to the Crucible for the first time since 2022.
"I can still play a little bit, which I proved today," said Stevens. "It's nice to be back. I was relaxed, and Stuart didn't play at his best—otherwise he would have beaten me."
England's David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in 2019 and 2024, also qualified with a 10-6 win over Aaron Hill, while Iran's Hossein Vafaei secured his fifth consecutive Crucible appearance with a 10-4 victory over China's Gao Yang.