A scoring error marred Bai Yulu’s victory over Daniel Womersley at the World Snooker Championship qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport. The main draw doesn’t get underway until later this month, but players have been battling for spots during a brutal qualification process.

The qualifying draw features a star-studded line-up, including Luca Brecel, Stuart Bingham and Ali Carter. Women’s world champion Bai has also progressed into the next round, with a 10-7 victory over Womersley, but it wasn’t without controversy.

It came during the 12th frame of the match when Womersley was leading by 28 points, with just 25 left on the table. However, four additional points were incorrectly added to his score when they ought to have been given to Bai after Womersley failed to escape a snooker.

Bai was left believing she herself needed to find a snooker, when in reality she was well positioned to attempt a clearance. There was a look of confusion on the Chinese potter’s face, but the error went unnoticed by both the referee and her opponent.

White last qualified for the World Championship in 2006, and the snooker icon will once again be sitting it out this time around. But he was caught having a pop at a crowd member following a pivotal miss, with TNT Sports co-commentator Phil Yates saying: “I saw him signalling to someone in the crowd that maybe they’ve moved behind the pocket.”

After the defeat was confirmed, Yates said: “It’s a feeling in the World Championship that he’s become accustomed to. White must feel very, very disappointed. He gave that everything he had, but it wasn’t quite good enough. Gao Yang wins, and Jimmy White’s 20-year wait to return to the Crucible continues.”

Qualifying will continue into next week, before the final 32-person field is confirmed ahead of the tournament beginning on April 18.