Joyce looks to continue dream run at UK Snooker Championship
World number 60, Mark Joyce is contesting the 12BET.com UK snooker championship title. So far, he is having the best run of his career. In the first round of the championship, Joyce managed to pull off an upset by beating world number three Allister Carter.
It was a shocking moment for snooker fans, as a new comer ranked well below Carter, and who turned professional in 2006 knocked one of the top seeds out of the tournament.
In the round-of-16 Joyce again proved his worth as a fine cue-man, as he won a best of seventeen frames match, against his old rival Judd trump to make it into the quarter-finals. In 2008 Joyce lost the final of the Master qualifying tournament to Trump,
at the world snooker academy in Sheffield, which suggests that he has put in some effort since then and improved his game.
The 27-year-old from Wallsal is facing some of the world’s best cueists in this championship, but has stood firm and refused to be intimidated. Joyce does not have an impressive professional snooker history, but this tournament seems like it could be the
turning point of his career.
With a highest break of 118 in 2003-04, Joyce has been a successful amateur snooker player. He has won the European under-19 championship in 2001, English open in 2005, and the renowned English amateur championship in 2006.
Beating an old foe earlier in the 12BET.com UK snooker championship boosted Joyce’s confidence, and since then he has been unstoppable at the tournament. Today at the International Centre in Telford, Joyce will play world number six Mark Williams in his
quarter-final. Joyce has termed it as the biggest snooker match of his life, and urged his fans to support him in the match.
Williams is known as one of the sport’s all-time greats. He is a fine player and has an impressive track record. He has been able to beat all the top snooker players including Allister Carter, John Higgins, Marco Fu, and Ding Junhui. With a highest break
of 147, which is the maximum a player can score in the game of snooker, Williams is definitely the favourite going into the quarter-final against Mark Joyce.
Joyce on the other hand will have to come up with a solid strategy and strong nerves to keep his title hopes alive. After Joyce’s rallying call to his fans, the sports governing body has decided to help him by putting up a two-for-one ticket offer. Joyce’s
fans can get two tickets in the price of one, which is a very interesting development in the tournament so far.
Joyce told reporters, “I have already won six matches and I do not want to stop here, I am trying not to think about the fact that I have made it to the quarter-finals of the world’s second-most prestigious tournament, rather just focus on the match and
try to win.”
Considering his success in the earlier rounds of the tournament, it’s easy to say that Joyce has the ability to cause upsets, and win against all odds.
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