Mark Joyce loses out in snooker play-off final
Snooker's Mark Joyce suffered an agonizing 10-5 Q Tour play-off final defeat to Steven Hallworth to miss out on a professional tour return.
Joyce's run to the Q Tour Global Play-Offs ended in a final defeat to his fellow countryman in Antalya, Turkey.
The prize on the line for one of three tournament winners was a two-year pro card on the World Snooker Tour. Walsall's Joyce had dropped off the circuit and taken amateur status at the end of last season.
Joyce, who fired an impressive maximum 147 break in the semi-final against Dylan Emery, trailed 2-0 and 3-1 in the early stages of yesterday's final as Lincolnshire's Hallworth snuck the fourth 55-54.
Hallworth, who has been an amateur for three years, led 5-3 and 6-3 with the Black Country cueist fighting to stay in touch. Hallworth rattled in an 113, the biggest break of the final, to end the first session.
The second session saw Hallworth strike twice to put him on the brink at 8-3 in the first to 10. Joyce fought back admirably with two frames on the spin before Hallworth edged the crucial 14th frame 57-56 to go one away and then sealed the win to condemn Joyce to a tough defeat.
