Ryan Day: Welshman hoping to keep hold of snooker top 16 spot

Ryan Day has been runner-up in four ranking event finals

Welshman Ryan Day hopes to hold on to his place in the top 16 and qualify automatically for April's Snooker World Championship in Sheffield.

Day did not qualify for the China Open, which takes place later in March, and will have to wait to see if he has done enough to be seeded for the Crucible.

The 36-year old went through qualifying rounds to reach the World Championship in each of the last three years.

"It's been a while since I've been a seed at Sheffield," Day said.

Speaking to BBC Wales Sport, Day continued: "There's big pressure [in the qualifiers]. You have to win three best of 19 games in the space of five or six days and it would be massive if I didn't have to go through that.

"It's out of my hands. Hopefully I'll be able to scrape into the top 16 come the cut off after the China Open."

The qualifiers for the World Championship will be held between 5 and 12 April at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield.

Day, who lost to Barry Hawkins in the World Grand Prix final in February, was beaten 5-4 by World champion Mark Selby in the first round of the Players Championship in Llandudno.