World championship spots are the aim for Sussex snooker duo

The Hastings area’s two snooker professionals are gearing up to begin their quest for a place in the Betfred World Championship.

Bexhill-based Jimmy Robertson and Mark Davis, from St Leonards, are poised to line up in the qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

They will both need to win two matches to earn a coveted spot in the final stages at The Crucible in Sheffield at the end of the month.

In a change to the qualifying format this year, Robertson and Davis will come in at the third round stage as they are seeded between 17 and 48.

Robertson – the world number 24 – will play Ashley Carty, Si Jiahui or Ross Muir in round three during the evening session this Saturday.

His possible fourth round opponents include Jimmy White, although the six-time World Championship runner-up would have to win three matches to get that far.

Davis, ranked 32, will face Sam Baird, James Cahill or Ben Mertens in round three on the evening of Sunday July 26, with 39th-ranked Anthony McGill a possible opponent in round four.