Three familiar names are heading back to the professional ranks after a dramatic few days at the WPBSA Q Tour Global Play-Offs in Gandia, Spain, where Ashley Carty, Ashley Hugill and Craig Steadman each secured two-year cards on the World Snooker Tour.
All three players brought valuable tour experience into the event and showed their class under pressure, navigating an intense and emotional qualification process at the Gandia Palace Hotel to seal their returns to the professional game.
Ashley Carty produced one of the standout performances of the play-offs, holding off a fierce late surge from Peter Lines to regain his tour status after a season away. Carty looked in full control early on, compiling four breaks over fifty in a blistering spell that helped him build a commanding 8–5 advantage. Lines responded with trademark resilience, reeling off frames to close the gap to 9–8 and piling on the pressure heading into the closing stages. With the match hanging in the balance, Carty showed impressive composure to clear the colours and seal a hard-fought 10–8 victory.
His route to the final was equally testing. Earlier wins over Hayden Staniland and Peter Devlin — the latter settled in a tense deciding frame — set up the showdown with Lines. The final itself was finely poised after the opening session finished level, before Carty exploded into life with a rapid scoring burst featuring breaks of 95, 61, 62 and 59 to move four frames clear. Even when momentum swung sharply back his opponent’s way, he held firm when it mattered most.
An emotional Carty admitted the result brought huge relief, reflecting on how difficult it can be to step back into the amateur ranks and how much the victory meant personally. He also paid tribute to his late former coach Keith Johnstone, a key figure in his early development, dedicating the achievement to someone who helped shape his career from childhood.
Ashley Hugill also enjoyed a memorable week, defeating Mark Joyce 10–5 to earn a return to the professional circuit after two seasons away. Hugill, a former pro across two previous spells, controlled the final from the outset and carried a 6–3 lead into the interval. Maintaining his focus, he captured four of the next six frames to close out the match and secure his place back on tour from the start of the 2026/27 season.
His path to the title match was relatively smooth, overcoming Luke Pinches and Alfie Davies before facing Joyce. A flying start in the final saw Hugill race into a 4–0 lead, highlighted by a superb 98 break. Joyce responded well, but a crucial final frame of the opening session swung momentum decisively. Hugill later admitted that moment felt pivotal, and from there he managed the contest intelligently, adding a classy 99 to move within touching distance before closing the match out with calm authority.
Afterwards, Hugill spoke openly about the pressure of the occasion and the uncertainty he faced had the result gone the other way. He credited the long-format match for suiting his strengths and highlighted the influence of ranking event winner Anthony Hamilton, who has worked closely with him this season. Technical refinements and mental preparation proved vital, and Hugill was clear about the importance of having experienced support in his corner.
Craig Steadman completed the trio of qualifiers, overcoming Stuart Carrington 10–7 to book his first tour appearance since 2023. The 43-year-old, who first turned professional in 2009, will now begin a fourth spell among the game’s elite after a composed and determined campaign.
Steadman’s run included victories over Callum Beresford and Patrick Whelan before a high-quality final. He set the tone early with a superb 123 break on his way to a 4–0 lead and maintained control despite spirited resistance. Carrington closed to within a single frame on multiple occasions, but Steadman’s experience told in the closing stages as he edged clear with a timely 52 break and confidently saw the match out.
Post-match, Steadman described the result as immensely satisfying, acknowledging both the nerves and the quality of his opponent. Reflecting on three seasons competing as an amateur, he spoke positively about the circuit and the opportunities it provides, while admitting the desire to test himself again at the highest level never faded. Having fallen short in previous qualification attempts, this return carried extra meaning and a strong sense of personal validation.
