Snooker: Veteran Parrott forced to Cope with youngster Jamie

Jun 29 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

GOLDEN oldie John Parrott rolled back the years yesterday to keep his dreams alive of qualifying for this season’s Shanghai Masters.

The experienced Liverpool potter fought off a spirited fightback from Walsall’s Mark Joyce to triumph 5-4 in the penultimate round of qualifying at the Pontin’s Holiday Park in North Wales.

Leading 3-0, Parrott saw 23-year-old Joyce battle back to force the match into a deciding frame. But a pressure break of 53 from the nine-time ranking event winner Parrott made sure he progressed to the final round of qualifying.

There the 40-year-old will lock horns with Stoke young gun Jamie Cope, runner-up at last season’s Royal London Watches Grand Prix and China Open tournaments.

“It was a tough match, I’m just glad to have won,” revealed Parrott, the 1991 world champion.

“I had a good start and played well, but all credit to Mark, he made life difficult for me.”

Parrott pocketed breaks 43 and 41 in the early exchanges, before world No 73 Joyce responded with runs of 64, 56 and 40 to make sure the best-of-nine frame contest went the distance.

But Parrott held his nerve and made his vast experience count in the ninth and deciding frame to leave himself within one victory of guaranteeing a place at this year’s Masters tournament, which is being staged in Shanghai from August 6-12.

“It’s always nice to win your first match of the season, but I had my chances to finish the match off earlier,” added Everton fan Parrott.

“I’m looking forward to playing Jamie in the next round. He’s one of the exciting young players who have come through. He showed last year how dangerous he can be.”

Meanwhile, there was disappointment for fellow Liverpool cueman Andrew Higginson and Rod Lawler.

Last season’s Welsh Open runner-up Higginson won the opening frame of his penultimate qualifying round clash with Glaswegian Scott MacKenzie thanks to a break of 54.

But his opponent pocketed runs of 80 and 69 as he eased to a 5-2 victory and a meeting with Londoner Gerard Greene in the final qualifying round today.

Lawler, runner-up at the 1996 International Open, was whitewashed 5-0 by world No 65 Lee Spick, his opponent knocking in breaks of 83, 45 and 45 on the way to a comfortable win.