2019 Q School

The Q School is a series of three snooker tournaments, featuring as a qualification route for the World Snooker Tour.{{Cite web |title=Q School 2019 Entry pack |work=wst.tv |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Q_School_2019_Entry_Pack_v3a.pdf |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221191743/https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Q_School_2019_Entry_Pack_v3a.pdf |url-status=dead}} First played in 2011, each event consisted of players being randomly assigned to four sections.{{Cite web |title=Q School |work=World Snooker |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/q-school/ |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716134456/https://wst.tv/q-school/ |url-status=dead}} The 2019 events were played at the Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, England.{{cite web |title=Q School draws |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/q-school-draws-2/ |website=World Snooker |access-date=30 April 2019 |date=30 April 2019 |archive-date=30 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430205325/http://www.worldsnooker.com/q-school-draws-2/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Snooker Q School to Graduate 16 Amateurs |work=SnookerHQ |date=17 May 2019 |access-date=28 May 2019 |url=https://snookerhq.com/2019/05/17/snooker-qschool-graduate-16-amateurs/ |archive-date=28 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528142053/https://snookerhq.com/2019/05/17/snooker-qschool-graduate-16-amateurs/ |url-status=live}} Each section played in the knockout system with the winner of each section earning a two-year tour card to play on the World Snooker Tour for the 2019–20 snooker season and 2020–21 snooker season. Four more players also received places on the tour based on the Order of Merit, based on the number of frames won over the three events.{{Cite web |title=Q School Ranking List |work=World Snooker |date=19 May 2016 |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/q-school-ranking-list-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220224442/https://wst.tv/q-school-ranking-list-2/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 February 2020}}{{Cite web |title=Q School Order of Merit 2019/2020 - snooker.org |trans-title= |last=Årdalen |first=Hermund |work=snooker.org |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2019&template=46 |language=no |archive-date=1 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801141056/http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=46&season=2019 |url-status=live}} All matches were played as the best of seven {{cuegloss|frame|frames}}.{{cite web |title=Q School 2019 Format of Play |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Click-here-for-the-format.pdf |website=World Snooker |access-date=30 April 2019 |date=1 May 2019 |archive-date=30 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430161946/http://www.worldsnooker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Click-here-for-the-format.pdf |url-status=live}} Events had no maximum participants, but entries cost £1,000.

The first event was held between 18 and 23 May.{{Cite web |title=Provisional format of play |work=wst.tv |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Click-here-for-the-format.pdf |archive-date=22 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222093045/https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Click-here-for-the-format.pdf |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |title=Q School 1 (2019) - snooker.org |trans-title= |last=Årdalen |first=Hermund |work=snooker.org |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=838 |language=no |archive-date=25 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525143656/http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=838 |url-status=live}} In a six-hour fifth round match, Ashley Hugill required two snookers in the {{cuegloss|deciding frame}}. He got the foul points, but still lost the match to Lukas Kleckers on a {{cuegloss|respotted black}}. Paul Davison and Soheil Vahedi were tied at 3–3 and was decided on the final {{cuegloss|black ball}}, {{cuegloss|pot|potted}} by Vahedi. In the final round, David Lilley completed a whitewash over Sean Maddocks to win a tour card for the first time.{{Cite web |title=Q School – The 16 Graduates |work=World Snooker |date=5 June 2019 |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/q-school-the-16-graduates/ |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920235819/https://wst.tv/q-school-the-16-graduates/ |url-status=dead }} Xu Si, who had been demoted from the tour the previous season, defeated fellow Chinese player Wang Zepeng 4–2.{{Cite web |title=Snooker Q School to Graduate 16 Amateurs |work=SnookerHQ |date=17 May 2019 |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=https://snookerhq.com/2019/05/17/snooker-qschool-graduate-16-amateurs/}} During the match Xu made the highest break of the tournament, a 137. Jamie O'Neill defeated Kleckers 4–1, whilst Vahedi beat Ross Bulman 4–2.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/lilley-blossoms-to-earn-pro-card/ |title=Lilley blossoms to earn pro card |work=worldsnooker.com |date=23 May 2019 |access-date=7 August 2021 |archive-date=26 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726234608/http://www.worldsnooker.com/lilley-blossoms-to-earn-pro-card/ |url-status=live }}

The second event was held between 24 and 29 May.{{Cite web |title=Q School 2 (2019) - snooker.org |trans-title= |last=Årdalen |first=Hermund |work=snooker.org |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=839 |language=no |archive-date=1 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501101045/http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=839 |url-status=live}} In the opening round, Lucky Vatnani made the highest break of the event, a 137, but still lost 4–2 to Long Zehuang. The qualification round saw Chen Zifan complete a whitewash 4–0 win over Au Chi-wai from Hong Kong, Riley Parsons defeat Peter Lines 4–3 and Fraser Patrick beat Sydney Watson 4–3. Patrick likened the experience of playing in the event as "every match is like going 12 rounds with Anthony Joshua". In the final qualification match, Si Jiahui led Louis Heathcote 3–0, who also required snookers in frame four and five, but still lost 4–3.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/patrick-and-chen-earn-tour-returns/ |title=Patrick and Chen earn tour returns |work=worldsnooker.com |date=29 May 2019 |access-date=7 August 2021 |archive-date=3 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603151846/http://www.worldsnooker.com/patrick-and-chen-earn-tour-returns/ |url-status=live }}

The third and final event was held between 30 May and 4 June.{{Cite web |title=Q School 3 (2019) - snooker.org |trans-title= |last=Årdalen |first=Hermund |work=snooker.org |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=840 |language=no |archive-date=11 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611074600/http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=840 |url-status=live}} In the qualification round, Barry Pinches defeated Long 4–3, and 1995 World Snooker Championship semi-finalist Andy Hicks defeated Yang Qingtian 4–0.{{Cite news |title=Hicks set for World Tour return aged 45 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=7 August 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/48557739 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124164024/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/48557739 |url-status=live }} Alex Borg, Malta's second most successful player after Tony Drago, defeated Billy Joe Castle 4–1 and Alexander Ursenbacher beat Peter Lines 4–3. Both Castle and Lines already had enough frames won to qualify for the main tour before these matches occurred. The final two qualification tour cards were awarded to Si Jiahui and Peifan Lei.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/q-school-event-three-winners/ |title=Q school event three winners |work=worldsnooker.com |date=4 June 2019 |access-date=7 August 2021 |archive-date=10 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810121319/http://www.worldsnooker.com/q-school-event-three-winners/ |url-status=live }}

The Order of Merit was awarded to players who won the most frames across the three events who didn't qualify automatically from the events.{{Cite news |title=Q School Order of Merit |work=World Snooker |url=https://wst.tv/rankings/q-school-order-of-merit/ |url-status=deviated |access-date=13 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131163500/https://wst.tv/rankings/q-school-order-of-merit/ |archive-date=31 January 2020}} The top players are shown below, those with Q in brackets were awarded places on the World Snooker Tour.{{Cite web|url=https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=46&season=2018 |title=Q School Order of Merit (2018) - snooker.org |website=www.snooker.org}}

The Order of Merit also acted as qualification for the 2019–20 Challenge Tour.{{cite web |title=Challenge Tour 2019/20 |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/2019-20-challenge-tour/ |work=World Snooker Tour |date=25 March 2019 |access-date=28 August 2019 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330001912/http://www.worldsnooker.com/2019-20-challenge-tour/ |url-status=live}}

The following table shows the rankings of the 16 qualifiers from the 2019 Q School, at the end of the 2020–21 snooker season, the end of their two guaranteed seasons on the tour, together with their tour status for the 2021–22 snooker season. Players in the top-64 of the rankings retained their place on the tour while those outside the top-64 lost their place unless they qualified under a different category.{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/World-Ranking-List-after-2021-World-Champs.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504043427/https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/World-Ranking-List-after-2021-World-Champs.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 May 2021 |title=World Rankings: After the 2021 Betfred World Snooker Championship |publisher=World Snooker Tour |date=3 May 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/tour-players-2021-22/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618123907/https://wst.tv/tour-players-2021-22/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 June 2021 |title=Tour Players 2021/22 |publisher=World Snooker Tour |date=18 June 2021}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20190623064410/http://www.worldsnooker.com/q-school/}}

{{Q School}}

{{2019–20 snooker season}}

Category:Q School (snooker)

Category:2019 in English sport

Category:2019 in snooker

Category:Sport in Wigan