Welsh Open finalist Andrew Higginson continued his remarkable run of form by reaching the penultimate qualifying round of the World Championship. The Englishman, who won eight matches to become only the second unranked player to reach the Welsh Open final, beat Glasgow's Scott MacKenzie 10-6.
The 29-year-old does not even have a world ranking and had earned less than �70,000 in his career before this year.
"It's a weird feeling. I think I may have inspired a few players," he said.
"I've shown what can happen. The feedback has been unbelievable since the Welsh Open. I've had loads of text messages and people wishing me well.
"As I've been practising for the World Championship for the last week I've not really been out, so it's probably not until this is over that I can sit down and look back at what I've achieved."
Higginson now needs to beat Ricky Walden and Mark Selby to secure a place in the televised stage, which begins at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 21 April.
If six-times runner-up Jimmy White is to be there he must first beat Scotland's Jamie Burnett, who earned a clash with the Whirlwind by beating Yorkshireman Paul Davison 10-5 with the aid of four centuries.
Manchester's James Leadbetter secured a meeting with 1991 world champion John Parrott after beating Stuart Pettman 10-3.
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