Davis run ended by ex-world champ

St Leonards snooker player Mark Davis at the table in the 888casino Snooker Shoot-out

The St Leonards potter won three matches at the unique event in Blackpool before bowing out against a former world champion.

Screened live on Sky Sports, matches were played over a single 10-minute frame with a shot clock in operation.

World number 14 Davis began with a 62-13 victory over 11th-ranked Ricky Walden in round one on Saturday afternoon thanks largely to an opening break of 49.

He returned on Saturday night to beat 36th-ranked David Gilbert 72-43 in round two. Davis then produced a very impressive display to blitz 71st-ranked Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 109-0 in the last 16 on Sunday afternoon with runs of 47 and 49.

Davis’s progress was halted by a 57-7 loss in a scrappy frame against Graeme Dott on Sunday evening. Davis finally got the opportunity he had been waiting for at 27-0 down only to miss a simple black and Dott saw out the frame comfortably.

Bexhill cueman Jimmy Robertson, meanwhile, defeated crowd favourite Jimmy White at the same event. Six-time former World Championship runner-up White led 32-10, but Robertson rallied with runs of 21 and 20 to turn the first round match around.

Robertson then came up against Mark King in the penultimate last 32 match 24 hours later. Robertson was unfortunate to see the white fall into the yellow pocket, giving 25th-ranked King ball in hand. King always had the upper hand thereafter and eventually triumphed 47-22.

Both Davis and Robertson will be in action at the German Masters this afternoon (Wednesday). Robertson will face world number two Mark Selby and Davis has another meeting with Gilbert.