Former world champions Mark Williams and Graeme Dott will not be competing at the Crucible this year after suffering surprise defeats in the final qualifying round.
Williams, who lifted the title in 2000 and 2003, surrendered an 8-7 advantage to lose to Alan McManus in a first-to-10-frames contest on Tuesday evening.
It is the first time that the 39-year-old will miss the sport's biggest tournament since 1996, and he has subsequently slipped out of top 16 in the world rankings.
Dott was defeated 10-7 by world number 89 Kyren Wilson at the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield, meaning that he will not have the opportunity to add to the world championship that he won in 2006.
Two-times beaten finalist Matthew Stevens was also eliminated by the lower-ranked Tom Ford.
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
