Drago clears qualifying stage to book Grand Prix berth

Tony Drago's bid to regain his place among the elite of world snooker started on a good footing when he reached the final stages of the Grand Prix in Preston next month.

Drago, who started the 2005/06 season ranked no.43, beat Steve James 5-2 in the final qualifying round of the opening ranking tournament of the season at Prestatyn, Wales, yesterday.

Drago had to rely on all his experience in the sixth frame when Englishman James was threatening to level the match at three-all. However, the Valletta professional dug deep into his reserves to open a 4-2 lead before wrapping up the match in the next frame.

The Grand Prix final stages start on October 8. Drago's Last 64 match is against Barry Hawkins, currently ranked no.18 in the world.

Another Maltese player in the Grand Prix qualifying stages is national champion Alex Borg. The Mellieha cueist earned the right to play directly in the Main Tour after his triumph in the European Championship in Poland in June.

Today, Borg plays against Gerard Greene. The winner from this match faces Stephen Lee at Guild Hall.

In other matches, Tom Ford hit back from 2-0 down to knock Ding Junhui out. The 22-year-old from Leicester proved his potential last season with a run to the quarter-finals of the Malta Cup, beating the likes of Drago and Ken Doherty.

And world No.51 Ford made an excellent start to the new campaign with a 5-3 defeat of Ding, who beat Stephen Hendry in the China Open final in March. He will face Barry Pinches next.

"I was talking to Mark Selby before the draw was made and we both agreed to worst draw we could get was Ding, so when I saw I was playing him I knew it would be tough," said the former English under-15 and U-18 champion.

"It's the first time I've played him and the first time I've won a match in the Grand Prix so I'm very pleased."

Ricky Walden, who knocked out John Higgins at Preston last year, made an impressive start to his season with a 5-1 defeat of Scotland's Hugh Abernethy. The 22-year-old from Flintshire, who complied breaks of 66, 51, 63 and 54, will face Quinten Hann in Preston.