Mark Gray scoops a bumper first prize of £5,000 in the Ultimate Eight-Ball Pool Tour event
Cue ace Mark Gray has finished a superb season on a tremendous high with a career best victory.
The Bourne Snooker Centre professional, a former European number one at nine-ball pool, has turned his attentions to the lucrative Ultimate eight-ball Pool Tour this year and he delivered a stunning success on the final weekend of the season.
Gray travelled to the Grand Hotel in Blackpool for the final two events and he won the first one to scoop a bumper first prize of £5,000.
The 51 year-old lost in the last 16 the following day to win £300, but he had done enough to finish as number four in the tier one rankings, a terrific achievement given his relative lack of experience and his age.
He has now qualified to play as a professional on the Ultimate Pool Tour which is televised live on Sky Sports on Monday evenings, but he's unlikely to accept the invitation.
"I have the option to turn professional which as it stands I won't be taking," Gray admitted.
"I have to choose what's the best value for me so as a pro is not yet an option but never say never I guess.
"It was a great weekend for me. To play 12 matches and win 11 is amazing and it caps off an unbelievable end to the year.
"Winning the penultimate event is far and away the best result I’ve had in English pool. There are 192 players at tier one level and I had to win seven matches to take the title including surviving three deciding frames."
Gray came from 4-3 down to reel off four frames in a row to beat Scottish star Steve Kane in his final. He had beaten event eight winner Zac Cooper from Stoke 6-5 in his semi-final.
Event 9 results: Last 128: beat Danny Kelliher 6-0; Last 64 beat Jack Schofield 6-5; Last 32 beat Joe Nulty 6-0; Last 16 beat Rob Woodcock 6-4; Last 8: beat Zak Shepherd 6-4; Last 4: beat Zac Cooper 6-5; Final: beat Steve Kane 7-4.
Event 10 results: Last 192: beat Steve Sears 6-1; Last 128: beat Amine Bounif 6-4; Last 64: Beat Gareth Higgins 6-2; Last 32: beat Jean Ludovic Gossez 6-4; Last 16: Lost to Tom Kennedy 5-6.
Gray is sponsored by TAOM Billiards, Ayliffs Garage Ltd (Bourne) and Bourne Snooker Centre.
