Thai ace Noppon also reaches Crucible

Thai snooker star Noppon Saengkham defeated Robert Milkins of England 10-8 to earn a berth on the world championship on Wednesday.

Noppon, higher identified in his nation as “Moo Paknam”, prime scored with breaks of 116 and 113 within the victory over the Gibraltar Open champion within the ultimate qualifying spherical in Sheffield.

It is an thrilling time for the Saengkham household as, again in Thailand, his spouse is eight months pregnant with their first little one.

“We can be having a daughter in mid-Could. It is a reward for her and a present for my household and Thai individuals. I’m combating for all of them,” stated Noppon, one in all two Thai gamers within the draw alongside Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Noppon, 29, will make his third Crucible look, having performed there in 2017 and 2020.

On the 2020 world championship, Noppon shocked 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy 10-4 within the first spherical in one of many largest upsets of all time on the Crucible.

The 2022 world championship begins on Saturday.

In the meantime, Hossein Vafaei will change into the primary participant from Iran to compete on the Crucible, because of a dramatic 10-9 victory over China’s Lei Peifan within the ultimate qualifying spherical.

“I am so blissful I’ve made my individuals proud,” stated Vafaei.

“I used to be so nervous immediately, all of my physique was shaking. I used to be consuming lots of chocolate to attempt to calm myself down however it wasn’t working! I forgot find out how to maintain the cue. I promise I’ll play higher than that on the Crucible.”