sentences:  The qualifying stage was played between players ranked 17 and those ranked lower for one of 16 places in the final stage between 31 October and 5 November at Pontin's Snooker Centre, Prestatyn, Wales.The matches were best-of-17 frames until the final.Ding Junhui, the China Open champion, beat Fergal O'Brien 9–4 in the third stage of qualifying.