LIVERPOOL potter John Parrott is just one win away from qualifying for this season’s 888.com World Championship.
But while the 1991 Crucible champion eased to an impressive 10-3 victory over Gareth Coppack in the penultimate round of qualifying yesterday, Widnes cueman Andrew Higginson slipped to an 10-7 defeat to crowd favourite Jimmy White.
Parrott, who took on fellow BBC Sport pundit Steve Davis in last year’s World Championship, wasted little in establishing a healthy 8-0 lead over Ryhl’s Coppack at the Pontin’s Holiday Park in Prestatyn, North Wales.
And although his Wrexham-born opponent rallied to win a further two frames, it was Everton fan Parrott who earned himself a deserved place in the final qualifying round.
The 43-year-old, at No 42 in the provisional world rankings, faces Cambridgeshire cueman Joe Perry in early March at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
“I played really well, that’s a really good result for me,” reflected Parrott. “Reaching the Crucible is the pinnacle of our sport and I’d love to get there again.”
