Davis beaten by Carter in final

The St Leonards cueman was beaten 3-1 by Ali Carter in the final of Championship League group three at Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex yesterday (Tuesday).

The two-day event began with all seven players facing each other in a round-robin format with the top four advancing to the semi-finals. Davis nabbed the fourth last four spot by virtue of beating Peter Ebdon after both men had won the same number of matches and frames.

Davis won two and lost two of his four matches on Monday, beating Ebdon 3-1 (top break of 52) and Marco Fu 3-0 (breaks of 53, 72 and 82), but losing 3-1 to Judd Trump (breaks of 60 and 54) and Ryan Day.

He then won one and lost one of his final two round-robin games yesterday to end with three wins and three losses. Davis saw off Stuart Bingham 3-1 (breaks of 52 and 118) only to be beaten 3-1 by Carter (break of 66).

World number 19 Davis overcame Welsh potter Day 3-1 in the semi-finals. He recovered from needing a snooker to pinch the opening frame by a single point, and although Day took the second with a break of 56, runs of 52, 35 and 39 gave Davis the next two.

Davis then won the opening frame against Carter in the final aided by a 52, but scored just 16 points in the next three as Carter knocked in breaks of 129 and 55 to seal a 3-1 victory.

The 42-year-old Davis will be joined by Day, Bingham, Ebdon, Michael White, Matthew Stevens and David Gilbert in group four today and tomorrow. The winners of each of the seven initial groups qualify for the winners’ group later in the season.