St Leonards star one win away from World Championship place

Snooker star Mark Davis is one win away from booking his place in the World Championship.
Mark Davis is through to the final round of the World Championship qualifiersMark Davis is through to the final round of the World Championship qualifiers
Mark Davis is through to the final round of the World Championship qualifiers

The St Leonards-based player reached the final round of the qualifiers in Sheffield after completing a 10-4 win over Fergal O’Brien this afternoon (Monday).

Davis, the world number 38, will face 27th-ranked Chinese cueman Lyu Haotian for a place in the event proper at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

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The 46-year-old Davis raced into a 6-1 lead against 59th-ranked O’Brien with breaks of 81, 59, 56, 109 and 102 before O’Brien put together runs of 56 and 66 to make it 6-3 after yesterday afternoon’s first session.

English Open runner-up Davis clinched the opening two frames of this afternoon’s second session to restore his five-frame cushion at 8-3.

Although Irish potter O’Brien won frame 12, Davis rattled through the next two frames without conceding a point thanks to breaks of 84 and 97 to seal his victory.

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Davis, who saw off Rod Lawler 10-6 in round one, will next take on an opponent who won his second round encounter 10-0 with two century breaks and five others over 60.

The first session of that match will start at 11am tomorrow, with the second session at the same time on Wednesday.

Bexhill-based world number 22 Jimmy Robertson was edged out 10-9 by Joe O’Connor in his second round match last night, despite recovering from 6-3 and 9-6 down to level at 9-9.

Robertson won the first two frames with breaks of 74 and 57 only for 76th-ranked O’Connor to take the next two with runs of 69 and 63.

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Although Robertson edged a tight fifth frame to lead 3-2, O’Connor reeled off the last four in the first session with breaks of 138, 57 and 80.

Robertson clinched the first two frames of the second session with a top run of 50 to cut his deficit to 6-5, but O’Connor took the next two, aided by a 68, to lead 8-5.

European Masters champion Robertson clinched the next with a 56 only for O’Connor to win frame 15 with a 58 to go within one of victory.

Robertson hit back with three successive frames, helped by an 81 break in frame 18, to level the scores before a run of 62 helped O’Connor pocket the decider 90-28.

The 32-year-old Robertson had whitewashed Chinese cueman Chen Feilong 10-0 in the previous round with breaks of 50, 68, 88, 52, 72, 83, 68 and 65.