Pickering snooker pro Paul Davison on verge of return to sport’s main tour (From York Press)

Pickering snooker pro Paul Davison on verge of return to sport’s main tour

8:21am Thursday 10th September 2009 in Sport By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter

PAUL Davison is hoping his latest stay on the Pontin’s International Open Series tour will prove brief – after the snooker professional surged up the rankings by winning the third event.

The Pickering potter was in tremendous form as he battled his way through the field at Prestatyn, Wales, on his way to a 6-4 win over Kyren Wilson in the final.

The result saw Davison soar to second place in the PIOS rankings, snooker’s second tier, and take a giant step towards regaining his place with the game’s giants next season.

The top eight players in the rankings, at the end of eight events, qualify to play on the main tour and Davison realises he is well placed for a return after dropping down at the end of last season.

But the 37-year-old has vowed not to take his foot off the gas until his place is secured.

“The first two events I lost in the last 32 and I was fortunate to get a walkover in the first round of this last event,” said Davison. “I was 3-1 down in the quarter-final (against Hugh Abernethy) but came back to win 5-3 and was 4-1 up in the semi-final against Kurt Maflin (who came back to tie at 4-4 before Davison won a last frame shoot-out).

“I played very solidly all the way through, my safety play was really good and things went right at the right time. I still have the heart and the fight to get back on the main tour. I still have the hunger and the desire.”

Davison is struck by the irony of his last PIOS campaign, early last year, where he also won the third event, but is hoping to tie up his return earlier this time.

Then he had to come through two sudden death encounters in the final tournament of the series to secure a seventh-placed spot in the rankings and seal his main tour spot.

“I will try to learn from that and do some damage in the next tournament,” Davison added.

“I would like to put the issue out of sight by Christmas rather than leave it again until the last event.”