The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding and District Snooker League star Mark Gray has moved up to number two in the Euro Tour (American 9-ball pool) rankings after an impressive start to the new season.
The 42-year-old, who plays for Bourne SC in the Spalding league, has just returned home from the first tour event of the season in Treviso, Italy.
There, he finished fifth out of 186 entries after losing to 9-7 to Greek number one Nicos Ekonomopoulous in the last eight.
His run to the quarter-finals included victories over Estonia’s Mark Magi (9-5), UAE’s Abdulla Omran-Salem (9-3) and England team-mate Daryl Peach (9-5).
“Granite” then dispatched Finland’s Jani Siekkinen 9-5 and Spanish number one David Alcaide 9-6 before finally losing to two-time Mosconi Cup winner Ekonomopoulous.
Two weeks earlier, Gray won the first GB9 Event of the year – held at Radisson Park Hotel in Telford – and pocketed the £1,100 top prize. Chris Hall was his victim in the final.
In the ‘Pro Event’ the next day the former snooker professional also managed to get to the final, only to lose against Ipswich’s Craig Osborne.
Gray will be in action closer to home on March 13, with the Bourne SC ace once again reaching the Spalding and District Snooker League’s pairs final with regular partner Michael Byrne.
They will be bidding to win the trophy for the third time on the spin, with the final taking place at Springfields Events Centre on March 13.
