Snookered by Covid-19 but David Grace has sights on top-32 target

From local snooker clubs to park pitches, no sport has escaped the impact of Coronavirus this year.

But set against the testing landscape of Covid-19, Leeds snooker professional Grace has actually enjoyed a successful last 12 months on the table.

From reaching the Gibraltar Open quarter-finals in March - when players feared being stranded on the island as the world went into global lockdown - to battling through to the semi-finals of Northern Ireland Open, 35-year-old Grace has racked up the ranking points.

The world No 65 could even break into the world’s top 32 by the end of the season if he maintains his upward curve.

Some achievement for a player, who admits he struggled to build on his only previous semi-final spot - in the 2015 UK Championship - after first turning professional in 2008.

“I had a nice result in Gibraltar,” said Grace, who lost to Mark Williams in the last eight. “But because this was all brewing (Coronavirus) so quickly, it was nice to just get on the table in Gibraltar. There were rumours we were going to get stuck there, the borders were going to close and cancel all the flights.

“The most relaxing place was actually at the table, playing the match.

“In a weird way, when I sometimes have something off the table - to take my mind off playing - it actually helps me focus on the snooker.

“I was quite solid last season, but this season I wanted to go deeper into tournaments and not have to worry about being top 64, borderline.

“Hopefully, that run should have given me a bit of breathing space and i can just concentrate on the tournament, not worry about my ranking.

“On the end of season list, I should make the 64 now. As it stands I am about 40, so it would be nice to actually reach the top 32 if I can keep the results going, but it will be tough.”

“We didn’t know what tournaments were going to be staged this year, so we have been really lucky to have the amount of events we have played.”

Grace beat defending champion Ding Junhui at the UK Championship - like most tournaments this season, staged in Milton Keynes due to the venue’s facilities and hotel - and also reached the third round of the English Open.

He looked set to cause another shock on Tuesday night, when he won the first frame against Shaun Murphy at the Scottish Open, before back-to-back centuries saw the 2005 world champion triumph 4-1.

“I won the first frame, and he looked a bit shaky,” said Grace. “But I gifted him an easy chance in the second, and he didn’t look back - I never potted another ball. I was reduced to long chances.

“You don’t get many games on the TV table, but because I had a few in the last couple of weeks, I feel like I have grown into those matches. I have got used to the conditions.”

Grace first grabbed national headlines in 2015 when reaching the UK Championship semi-finals in York.

He struggled to replicate that success, and admits he has learned how to handle success on the table.