Sam Craigie was docked a frame during his World Snooker Championship qualifier against German potter Umut Dikme and it proved to be a decisive blow
Sam Craigie was penalised a frame for lateness during his World Snooker Championship qualifier against German player Umut Dikme – before the Englishman lost the match 10-9.
Craigie and Dikme battled in what was the second round of Crucible qualifying. As the fifth frame loomed, the scores stood level at 2-2 and players were permitted an interval. Nevertheless, referee Nico De Vos ruled Craigie was too slow returning to the table and awarded the frame to his rival.
The encounter continued, with Craigie at one point establishing a 9-7 advantage in the race to 10. Unfortunately, the Newcastle-born cueman fell in a deciding frame and his qualification dreams were dashed. Dikme, who compiled both a 103 and 96 break in this triumph, now confronts a challenging task in Jack Lisowski in his next encounter, reports the Express.
Should he prove successful, he would need to contest one final qualifier on Judgement Day to reach the Crucible. Meanwhile, Stuart Bingham advanced to the final round, alongside David Gilbert and Aaron Hill, who will now meet each other.
China’s Chang Bingyu, who made history when reaching the final of the Scottish Open in December, began qualifying in ideal fashion by thrashing Prin Ratmukda 10-2. However, unlike some of these stars, Craigie won’t get the opportunity to battle for a spot at the main event in Sheffield.
The 32-year-old remains on the road to recovery from a serious neck injury. Craigie revealed in June: “For around a year, I had been in and out of the GP for shoulder pain. In June 2024, I was sent for an X-ray and MRI where I found I had a tear.
“From around then the pain became almost permanent. Once the season finished, I decided to see an orthopaedic surgeon who informed me the pain in my shoulder was most likely coming from my neck, which was confirmed by an MRI, showing I had a slipped disc.
“I then decided to go forward with the surgery in July as the pain was unbearable. I was discharged the following day, thinking I would be back to full health a few weeks after the surgery. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
“The following months, I couldn’t do much at all. I wasn’t sure if I’d even play snooker again. Around January 2025, I started thinking about snooker seriously again and slowly started having a few hours of practice.
“It was hard to commit to it due to still being in some pain while playing. A couple of months ago I started taking it seriously again. My Tour Card has been confirmed so now I can get my head down and look forward to what the future holds.”