Good Grace
Grace is one of 16 qualifiers who go through to the final stages of the ranking event in Shanghai next month
World number 85 David Grace scored a career-best 5-3 win over Ali Carter in the final qualifying round of the Shanghai Masters.
Carter, who dropped out of the world’s top 16 last season following his battle against cancer, won the tournament in 2010 but misses out on the trip to China this time following defeat against Leeds cueman Grace in Barnsley.
Breaks of 57, 68 and 93 helped Carter go 3-2 ahead, but Grace hit back to take the last three frames with top runs of 68 and 78. The 30-year-old previously qualified for Shanghai in 2013.
Belgium’s Luca Brecel came from 3-1 down to beat Fergal O’Brien 5-4, taking the decider with a break of 80.
Crucible quarter-finalist Anthony McGill made breaks of 121 and 101 in taking a 4-3 lead over Kyren Wilson, but Wilson made a 128 in the eighth frame then won the next 78-4 for a 5-4 victory.
Mike Dunn scored a 5-4 win against China’s Xiao Guodong, taking the decider on the colours.
There was success for one Chinese player as Liang Wenbo beat Andrew Higginson 5-4 with a top break of 102.
Alan McManus came from 4-2 down to edge out Rory McLeod 5-4, taking the seventh frame on the black and the last two with runs of 60 and 51.
Michael Holt saw off China’s Li Hang 5-3 while Jamie Cope came from 4-3 down to beat Gary Wilson 5-4.
Riga Open runner-up Tom Ford saw off Ben Woollaston 5-3 while Ryan Day won a Welsh derby with Dominic Dale 5-1.
Jamie Jones compiled breaks of 59, 88, 62, 80 and 55
Matthew Selt top scored with 75 in a 5-3 defeat of Joe Swail while Australian Goldfields Open semi-finalist Jamie Jones made five breaks over 50 in a 5-3 win over David Morris.
Martin Gould, runner-up in Australia, beat Liam Highfield 5-2 with a top run of 96 while Robert Milkins was a 5-3 winner over Gerard Greene. Former World Champion Peter Ebdon beat Jamie Burnett 5-1 and in the last match to finish, Mark Davis edged out Tian Pengfei 5-4.