Iran’s Hossein Vafaei qualified for a fifth successive year thanks to a 10-4 win over Gao Yang of China.
“This morning I was not well at all,” said Vafaei. “It wasn’t a great match, my opponent is hungry and young and he is my practice partner – every day I practise with him and he’s such a great talent, but we didn’t play that well.
“I’m fighting as well for my country, for my family and I’m trying my best and will give it my all. The Crucible is a fantastic place for snooker and we love to play in front of snooker lovers, especially at the Crucible.”
Antoni Kowalski, 22, will be the first player from Poland to play at the finals after he beat Wales’ Jamie Jones 10-8.
Kowalski, who would have lost his tour card with defeat, was in tears after the victory.
“I never cry, so that’s the perfect explanation of what it means to me,” he said. “I’m going to realise one of my biggest dreams and play at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
“I’m not based in the UK so it is more special, and my girlfriend and my parents will come to the Crucible. At the end of the first session and beginning of the second I was absolutely gone, then I stopped thinking, turned off my brain and just played.”
Elsewhere, Chinese duo Zhou Yuelong and Pang Junxu qualified, defeating England’s Michael Holt 10-4 and Wales’ Jackson Page 10-8 respectively.
The final eight places will be decided on Wednesday. Belgium’s Brecel, the 2023 champion, plays 2024 runner-up Jak Jones of Wales in the pick of the matches.
Two-time Crucible finalist Ali Carter is also in action, as is Jack Lisowski, who won his first ranking tournament in October with victory at the Northern Ireland Open.
The first round begins on Saturday, with the final starting on Sunday, 3 May and concluding the next day – with full coverage of the tournament live on the BBC.
The draw will feature the top 16 and 16 qualifiers, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live at 08:45 BST on Thursday.
