page_title: James Cahill (snooker player)
section_title: 2016/2017
hierarchical_section_title: James Cahill (snooker player) / Career / 2016/2017
caption_attribution_description: James Cahill beim Paul Hunter Classic 2016
context_page_description: James Cahill is an English snooker player from Blackpool. Cahill first turned professional in 2013, aged 17, after winning the European Under 21 Championships, but returned to amateur status in 2017.
  As an amateur, Cahill reached the main stage of the 2019 World Snooker Championship, becoming the first amateur player ever to qualify for the event. At the tournament, he defeated world number one and five-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 10–8 in their first round match. O'Sullivan was the second former world number one Cahill had defeated in the 2018–19 snooker season, after his victory over Mark Selby at the 2018 UK Championship. Cahill qualified for a new two-year tour card via the one-year money-list after the 2018/2019 season. He rejoined the professional tour in June 2019.
context_section_description: Cahill's 2016–17 season was a breakout year, where he appeared in many more main stage tournaments than any of his previous seasons. He appeared for the first time at both the 2016 Riga Masters, losing 3–4 to Zhao Xintong; and then 2016 World Open losing to Liang Wenbo 2–5.
  Cahill progressed to the third round of the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic by eliminating Kevin Vandevoort 4–0 and Ryan Day 4–2. In the third round, He drew world number one Mark Selby. Despite being 1–3 behind, he made two breaks above 50 to come back to tie the match at 3–3, but lost the deciding frame. The next event of the season saw him beaten 1–4 by Joe Swail in the second round of the English Open, after beating Adam Stefanow 4–3 in the opening round.
  Following this, Cahill lost in the first round of five ranking events, including the UK Championship and Welsh Open. He did, however,  defeat Robbie Williams and Noppon Saengkham before losing to Ken Doherty in the third round of the non-ranking one-frame Snooker Shoot-Out event. He finished the season losing in the opening round of qualification for the 2017 World Snooker Championship, losing to Robbie Williams 1–10.
  Having finished the season with a world ranking of 106, Cahill required a successful run in Q School at the end of the season to remain on the tour. After exiting in the opening round Andres Petrov 2–4 of the first event, He fared better at the second event, defeating Jaspal Bamotra, James Silverwood, Alex Taubman, Ashley Carty but lost 2–4 to Paul Davison to confirm his relegation from the tour.
caption: 2016 Paul Hunter Classic
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