Gareth Potts qualified for the last 32 of the ultimatepool.tv Masters after an enjoyable evening at the Players Pool & Snooker Lounge in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Potts began the night as a hot favourite to advance, but the four-time world champion was made to work very hard and had to produce some of his top form against fantastic performances from his opponents.
Bradford’s Elliott Glover started the week off with an 8-3 victory over Matt Peel – a win that saw him construct two break clearances and two reverse clearances.
“The Golden Boy” Potts then entered the fray to face 26-year-old Jordan Bradley from Long Eaton. Both players struggled early on to make a ball off the break and these opportunities were largely capitalised on by their opponent.
Despite his inexperience of the arena, Bradley was brilliant, crafting three successive reverse clearances from Potts’ dry breaks. However, Potts went on a purple patch going reverse clearance-break clearance-reverse clearance-break clearance to move 6-4 in front before later finishing off with another reverse clearance for an 8-5 win.
There was a quick turnaround for Potts who soon faced Glover in the weekly final. Again, the local hero would ultimately be involved in a close affair, going behind twice early on before another four-frame burst put him 5-2 up.
Things turned mid-match, though. After he went in-off on his break, Potts watched former Challenger Series event semi-finalist Glover reverse clear and then find a Golden Break in back-to-back frames to reduce the deficit to one.
Frame 10 proved to be pivotal. Both players had opportunities to win it, but – after a couple of very uncharacteristic errors from him – Potts claimed it to make it 6-4.
Glover compiled a beautiful break clearance in frame 11 to go back within one, but Potts ended with a flourish going break clearance-reverse clearance for another 8-5 success.
Throughout the night, Potts chalked up five break clearances and six reverse clearances. He is set to play Matt Brierley in the last 32 in the new year.
