SNOOKER: Joe Perry to face World Championships qualifiers after exiting China Open in the first round

Joe Perry will have to qualify for the Betfred World Snooker Championships after crashing out of the China Open in the first round.

Perry’s poor form at the Beijing-tournament continued today against Iran’s only professional snooker player, Hossein Vafaei, who secured a 5-2 victory.

Defeat for Perry means he is now out of the world top 16 and will have to win three of his qualifying matches at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, to stand a chance of playing at the Crucible next month.

Perry tweeted after his defeat: “Ponds Forge here I come!”