Glen Mathews
We take a quick look at the four players that came through European Q School event 1 and received World Snooker Tour wildcards for the next two seasons.
Throughout the season the best odds can be found from providers on the bookies list from first.com.
Liam Pullen – Having gained a tour card for the second time in his career, 19-year-old Pullen will be better placed to make more of an impact on the pro tour this time around.
The 2023/24 & 2024/25 seasons were seen as a huge opportunity for the young Englishman to progress but having been unable to consistently perform he eventually lost his card.
His familiarity with the tour’s pace will no doubt be a positive factor this time around, however, breaking into the top 64 or reaching later stages (e.g, quarter-finals) of ranking events may take time.
Pullen qualified through Q School Event 1, his results throughout the event were:
4-2 V Gary Filtness
4-0 V Simon Bedford
4-0 V Matt Williams
4-2 V Alfie Davies
4-2 V Umut Dikme
Alexander Ursenbacher – A seasoned pro who’s qualified through Q School three times previously, he cruised through with minimum fuss and deservedly regains his place on tour for another two years.
He reached the semi-final of the English Open in 2017, only to be defeated by 2024 World Champion Kyren Wilson. This run is only a small sample of how dangerous the Swiss player can be when hitting top form.
He will undoubtedly be eyeing up another deep run this season, beginning with the Wuhan Open Qualifiers later this month.
Ursenbacher qualified through Q School Event 1, his results throughout the event were:
4-2 V Faizaan Mohammed
4-2 V James Cahill
4-3 V David Grace
4-1 V Ashley Hugill
4-1 Ryan Davies
Mateusz Baranowski – The young Pole becomes the third from his country with professional status next season following in the footsteps of Antoni Kowalski & Michal Szubarczyk.
As a newcomer to the professional scene he may find it difficult at first but has shown enough quality throughout his Q school run to suggest he is capable of mixing it with the best.
Baranowski qualified through Q School Event 1, his results throughout the event were:
4-1 V Kian Dennett
4-0 V Daegyu Lee
4-3 Jenson Kendrick
4-3 Phil O’Kane
4-2 Mark Lloyd
4-2 Patrick Whelan
Oliver Brown – A former European amateur champion, Brown was relegated in 2024 but bounced back with an emphatic 4-1 win over Craig Steadman in the final round of Q School Event 1.
He may struggle against top seeds but could secure wins in early qualifiers and the experience gained from previously being on tour will be invaluable as he looks to make a mark on the professional circuit.
Brown qualified through Q School Event 1, his results throughout the event were:
4-1 V Velian Dimitrov
4-3 Kayden Brierley
4-2 Manuel Ederer
4-1 Alex Clenshaw
4-2 Halim Hussain
4-1 Craig Steadman
Along with four others from European Q School event 2 they will also be joined on tour by qualifiers from the Asia & Oceania Q School leg held in Thailand.