POTTER Paul Davison feels he has a point to prove as he returns to European Tour action.

The 42-year-old snooker star is in Latvia for the Riga Open where, now holding amateur status, he must come through two qualifying rounds if he is to meet Jack Lisowski in the first round proper.

Davison plays Scottish amateur Michael Collumb and the winner of Roman Dietzel and Vilius Schulte-Ebbert tomorrow as he attempts to kick-start his career once more.

The former professional dropped off the main tour at the end of last season and has found his playing opportunities to be limited in recent months. This will be his first competitive match since losing to Peter Lines in the first round of Australian Open qualifying at the end of May.

But Davison believes the break may have done him good and is targeting a strong finish in the six European Tour events this season.

Those players who are ranked in the top eight of the standings, who are not already in the game’s top 64, will get an automatic berth back on the tour and the 20-year veteran is motivated to re-establish himself as soon as possible.

“I am looking forward to it,” he said of his Eastern European excursion. “I have been putting in a lot of practice recently and I feel a bit more refreshed. I am up for it more than I thought I would be.

“I thought I wouldn’t be as keen to practice but I feel like I have got a point to prove. I have played three or four different people in practice over the past month.

“I don’t know anything about my opponents so I have just got to work on my own game. If I can win those two I will play Jack Lisowski on Friday morning.”

Davison, who has indicated he will look to play in English and Yorkshire amateur events this season while also looking to get into the field for the World Amateur Championship, said he has been forced to adapt after losing his professional status - taking on extra work and trying to juggle that with practice.

He added: “If you do drop off you know what to expect. You can either enter amateur events or stop playing and look for another career. I wasn’t sure 100 per cent what I was going to do to start with.

“I spent two or three months thinking about it. But I feel as though I am playing well. Last season was my best year ever. It would be nice to start back and have a good run in these events.

“I would like to get into the top eight and get back on tour automatically.

“In the short term, I am going to enjoy the season as an amateur. I know where I should be and I know what to do. I will be trying to get back to where I should be.”