Gould to face Fu in Crucible first round

Martin Gould has secured a place at the World Snooker Championships, where he will face Marco Fu in the first round.

Gould, from Pinner, beat Chinese player Liang Wenbo 10-7 in the final round of qualifying to ensure he will compete at the Crucible in Sheffield.

Former champions Mark Williams and Peter Ebdon are among the big names who failed to qualify for the tournament, which begins on Saturday.

Gould’s match against Fu is due to begin at 10am on Tuesday. The winner will face 2005 champion Shaun Murphy or Jamie Cope in the second round.