Daniel Wells triumphed 10-9 in a final-frame decider as he shocked Gary Wilson to reach the televised stage of the World Championship for the first time.
Welshman Wells, 36, led 6-2 but was put under severe pressure from three-time ranking-event winner Wilson, who compiled three half-centuries and a century on his way to levelling at 6-6 in the fourth-round qualifier.
However, Wells repeatedly edged back in front in a nip-and-tuck finale and sealed his win following a break of 52.
It represents a stunning success for Wells, who has dropped off the main tour several times since first turning professional in 2008 and been employed cleaning toilets and running a burger van in the past.
Now 49th in the world, 32 places below Wilson who was the highest-ranked player in qualifying, an emotional Wells said: “I don’t know how I held myself together, I couldn’t even stand up.
“I was wondering if it would ever happen. I feel I am good enough to be there and I have worked really hard. It has to be the biggest win of my career. When I was 19 I lost 10-9 to Barry Hawkins in the final qualifying round and I thought the world was at my feet.
“Things haven’t worked out that way and I haven’t come close again until now.”
World number 73, Zak Surety, will also make his Crucible bow after claiming an emphatic 10-3 victory over fellow Englishman Ricky Walden.
Meanwhile, David Gilbert, who was a semi-finalist 12 months ago, fought back from 7-3 and 9-7 down to defeat Ireland’s Aaron Hill as he secured his spot in snooker’s showpiece event.
China’s Zhao Xintong will become the third amateur to play at the Crucible, after James Cahill in 2019 and Michael White in 2022 after advancing past England’s Elliot Slessor 10-8 in a high-quality contest which contained breaks of 134, 127 and 103 from Zhao, and 114, 113 and 126 from Slessor.
