John Parrott's latest Crucible dream was extinguished with a 10-3 defeat against Matthew Couch in qualifying.
Former champion dumped out of Crucible reckoning in qualifying
John Parrott's saw his latest Crucible dream extinguished after a 10-3 defeat against Matthew Couch in qualifying, but teenager Judd Trump's quest continues after he moved to within a match of the World Championships.
1991 Crucible champion Parrott was totally outplayed in his fourth round match in the qualifiers being staged at the EIS in Sheffield.
Scunthorpe potter Couch was too good from the outset, taking a 7-1 lead against the 44-year-old, although Parrott hit the highest break of the match, a 131, to reduce the arrears.
Parrott, who also missed out on the Crucible last year, could not get any closer though and 34-year-old Couch cruised towards a 10-3 victory in the end, and he now goes into the final qualifying round which starts on Sunday.
19-year-old Judd Trump has only lost once in qualifying all season, and he maintained his form with a 10-1 thrashing of Joe Delany to move within a match of the Crucible.
Lee battle
Bristol's Trump now takes on fellow Westcountry native Stephen Lee in the final qualifying round for a place in the Crucible draw, after potting breaks of 62 and 100.
Lee Spick has a prize draw against six-time winner Steve Davis after his emphatic 10-2 success over Adrian Gunnell.
Shanghai Masters champion Ricky Walden has surprisingly never appeared in the first round proper at the Crucible, but he now plays Anthony Hamilton for that chance after his fine victory over Rod Lawler.
Walden sank six half-centuries and one century break during his 10-1 win, with runs of 77, 76, 73, 128, 58, 58 and 66 sending him into a final qualifying clash with the Sheriff of Pottingham.
Gerard Greene set up a clash with face former champion Ken Doherty with a 10-6 win over China's Lui Song, while Rory McLeod won a tense battle with Andy Hick 10-8 to win through to a match against Ian McCulloch.
Another former Crucible champion, Mark Williams, will appear in the final qualifying round, and he plays Tom Ford after his victory over Patrick Wallace.
