World championship spots are the aim for Sussex snooker duo

Bexhill-based Jimmy Robertson and Mark Davis, from St Leonards, are poised to line up in the qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

They will both need to win two matches to earn a coveted spot in the final stages at The Crucible in Sheffield at the end of the month.

In a change to the qualifying format this year, Robertson and Davis will come in at the third round stage as they are seeded between 17 and 48.

Robertson – the world number 24 – will play Ashley Carty, Si Jiahui or Ross Muir in round three during the evening session this Saturday.

His possible fourth round opponents include Jimmy White, although the six-time World Championship runner-up would have to win three matches to get that far.

Davis, ranked 32, will face Sam Baird, James Cahill or Ben Mertens in round three on the evening of Sunday July 26, with 39th-ranked Anthony McGill a possible opponent in round four.

Cahill memorably defeated five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan at The Crucible last year, but will have to win four matches to return to the famous old venue this year.

Should they win their third round games, Robertson would play his fourth round clash next Monday, July 27, and Davis would play his tie the following day.

Third round matches will be played over the best of 11 frames and fourth round contests over the best of 19.

The 16 players who progress through the qualifiers will join the top 16 seeds, who qualify automatically, at The Crucible from Friday, July 31.

Davis has negotiated the qualifiers more times than any other player.

Last year was the 47-year-old’s tenth successful trip to the qualifiers, having first made it to The Crucible back in 1994. He progressed to round two in 1995, 2010 and 2013, beating four-time champion John Higgins in the latter year.

Robertson has qualified on four occasions (2011, 2015, 2017 and 2018). The 34-year-old has yet to win a match at The Crucible, although his opponents have included three-time champions Mark Selby and Mark Williams.

The World Championship was originally due to run from April 18 until May 4, but was postponed on March 20 because of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequently rescheduled.