Ryan Day recorded an impressive 10-2 win over Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo at the World Championship Qualifying in Sheffield before admitting this season would be a disappointment if he misses out on the Crucible. Day is two wins away from entering the final stages of this year’s World Championship, which would cap a stellar season for the 38-year-old Welsh potter.
He won his maiden ranking title in the very first event at the Riga Masters and he sensationally claimed back-to-back titles at the Gibraltar Open and the European Masters last month. Ranked 17th in the world, Day failed to qualify for the lucrative China Open last month and that allowed Masters champion Mark Allen to book the final automatic spot in Sheffield ahead of him. Having compiled breaks of 64, 66, 70, 90, 107 and 51 in consecutive frames to reach an 8-1 scoreline, Day rounded off his win over Figueiredo with a final contribution of 100.
He joked that after close to two decades on the main tour this has been his ‘breakthrough season’, but is serious enough to admit that failing to reach the Crucible would dampen what has been a fine season. “I’d like to have a crack at the Crucible again this year,” said Day. “It’s been a breakthrough season if you like, 19 years after I started on the tour! I’ve had a good season, but it would be disappointing not to get through to the Crucible. “I’m playing better than I have done for the last few years. I haven’t really done myself justice at the World Championship recently. That is something that I would like to put right.” Day is rated a 66/1 chance to win the World Championship this season, with defending champion Mark Selby 7/2 to retain his crown.