Ken Doherty admitted he was "almost in tears" after missing out on the TV stages of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship last year, but he was all smiles today after a 10-1 demolition of Joe Swail in the final qualifying round.

The 1997 World Champion suffered a 10-5 reverse against Gerard Greene at the same stage 12 months ago, which ended an unbroken run of appearances at the Crucible which dated back to 1994. But he'll be back at the sport's Theatre of Dreams in April having secured his place in Thursday's draw with a superb display against Belfast's Swail.

Having built an 8-1 lead in the first session with two breaks of 74 and one of 67, the Dubliner soon added the two frames he needed. He potted ten reds with blacks in frame ten before missing the 11th black on 81 when a 147 looked a possibility, then secured victory on the pink in the next.

"I was almost in tears here last year because I didn't know where my game was going," said 40-year-old Doherty, who dropped to 44th in the world rankings but now looks sure to be back among the top 32. "I was confused about how I was playing. I didn't want to throw it in, but I could have been forced off the tour if I'd kept losing matches. I was on the floor with no confidence.

"I think it says a lot about my character that I've turned things around. There's still a long way to go, but I'm getting there. I take a lot of inspiration from what Steve Davis is doing, he's unbelievable.

"Joe and I are good pals, if I wasn't playing him I would want him to qualify. There's so much pressure out there, it's horrible, especially when you get on with your opponent so well."

Tom Ford became the first debutant through to the Crucible so far this year as he beat Judd Trump by a surprisingly one-sided 10-3 scoreline. Runs of 56, 69, 53, 79, 54 and 55 helped him to an 8-1 lead, and a 120 in the first frame tonight brought him to the brink of victory. Premier League semi-finalist Trump pulled two back with 77 and 72 before Ford finished the job with a 100.

A professional for ten years, 26-year-old Ford clearly believes he has not made the most of his talent so far, though he was delighted to earn his first trip to the televised stages at Sheffield.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'll have a couple of beers at the club tonight and then it will," said Leicester's World No 49 Ford. "I got to a quarter-final in Malta in 2005 but since then I've not done enough. I didn't practise hard enough. I had too much time on my hands and I was drinking too much - it's hard to practise with a hangover.

"At the end of last season I lost to a player who I knew I should have beaten, and I realised I had to get my head down. I've knuckled down this season and treated snooker as a job.

"I was good friends with Mark Selby when we were kids, then when we were 18 I took the wrong path. He is very dedicated to snooker and I wasn't on the same wavelength. Seeing him do well on TV winds me up because I know I should be doing the same."

Martin Gould made his Crucible debut last year and he'll be back thanks to a 10-4 defeat of Nigel Bond. Two centuries, 114 and 129, helped him to a 6-3 lead, and he won four of the five frames tonight to clinch the match.

"My long potting was frightening, every ball was screaming in," said London's 28-year-old Gould. "I wasn't quite perfect but I played high level snooker."

Gould lost 10-6 to Mark Allen on his debut last year and recalls: "In the first session I couldn't wait to get out of there, I wilted under the pressure. Then in the second I started to flow. Hopefully I can play more like that this time."

He added that he has quit his part time job as a croupier, citing "a disagreement with my boss. It's done me the world of good because I'm always playing snooker now."

Michael Holt survived a tricky match against David Morris, coming through 10-6. Nottingham's Holt led 6-3 after the first session and shared the first four frames tonight, making 85 and 59 while Irishman Morris, bidding for his debut at a ranking venue, responded with 76 and 58.

Morris closed to 8-6 and had chances in the vital 15th frame before Holt won it on the last black. The Hitman, who was watched by his friend the boxer Carl Froch, landed the knock-out blow in the next with a run of 70.

"For the last three weeks I've been sleeping two hours a night, so it's just such a relief to win," said Holt. "I had a couple of twitches, but I felt good in the end. At the start of this season I wanted to get into the top 16 but I've lost three first round matches, although I've been playing ok.

"To get to the Crucible is like a footballer playing at Wembley. It's the tournament you watch as a kid. In the past maybe I've not appreciated it enough, but I will now. If I draw John Higgins again it will feel like the final for him, because the last two times I've played him in the first round (2007 and 2009) he's gone on to win it."

Barry Hawkins, the highest ranked player in the qualifiers at No 17, was the last man through tonight, courtesy of a gritty 10-7 win over Ian McCulloch. Up 6-3 after the first session, the Dartford cueman added the four frames he needed with top runs of 66 and 109.

"I feel gone now, knackered. That was a match and a half," said Hawkins. "You want to get there so badly and you just want to get over the line. I've qualified for China and it's horrible to go there when you are not in the World when you get back.

"I've been at the Crucible four years in a row now but not won a match. The last three have been two 10-9s and a 10-8 so I'm getting closer. I just want to get through that first round, because after that anything can happen."