O’Brien brings curtain down on 33-year career after defeat in Crucible qualifier

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Former British Open champion Fergal O’Brien will hang up his cue after losing 10-8 to Egypt’s world No. 125 Mostafa Dorgham in his opening World Championship qualifier.

World No. 106 O’Brien led 3-0, but was pegged back to 4-4 with his opponent claiming three of the final four frames from 7-7 to advance to the second qualifying round at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

The Irishman reached No. 9 in 2000/01, two years after winning the British Open in 1999 with a 9-7 win over Anthony Hamilton, while he also lost a memorable Masters final 10-9 to Paul Hunter in 2001.

He also reached the last eight of the World Championship in 2000, losing 13-5 to Mark Williams in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, former Crucible semi-finalist Marco Fu completed a 10-1 win over former women’s world champion Baipat Siripaporn boosted by seven plus-50 breaks, while record 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans endured a forgettable day in losing 10-0 to Oliver Brown.

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