Mark Joyce believes he is close to winning his his first major ranking title after making it to the German Masters quarter-finals last week.
The 32-year-old beat Mark Allen and Mark King on his way to the last eight, but lost 5-4 to eventual runner-up Luca Brecel.
Joyce, who has broke into the top 40 after his German Masters win, made in to the quarter-finals in the 2010 UK Championship and in 2014 during the World Open.
He made three century breaks in Berlin and has started to practice at the Q-Bar in Walsall where he lives.
Practice makes perfect
“I’ve practiced really hard since I’ve had my new room at the club,” said Joyce who was speaking to the Walsall Advertiser. “I’ve got a fantastic set-up there and I’ve really been putting the work in.”
Despite narrowly losing to Belgian Brecel, the 32-year-old thought he “played really well” and, after beating King, he was told by the world number 37 “he would win the tournament” if he kept his form up.
Disappointment against Brecel
Joyce lead the Belgian 4-2 in his match but Brecel went on to win three frames on the bounce to make the semi-finals.
“It was disappointing because I really did feel that if I got through that one, my game was there to get to my first final and perhaps win the tournament,” Joyce said.
The eventual winner was Martin Gould, who won his first major ranking title, but Joyce believes he is “knocking on the door” of his own first title and is now going into tournaments “thinking [he] can do some damage and go far.”
Joyce’s run of form has come at a crucial time too, with the Snooker Shoot-Out and Welsh Open approaching. Joyce faces David Gilbert in the Shoot-Out and has a first-round clash with Gareth Allan in Wales.