Snooker: Perry looking to rediscover winning touch in Glasgow

Published on Saturday 3 October 2009 11:16

JOE PERRY is looking to address an alarming slide in fortunes at the Grand Prix in Glasgow as he goes in search of the first ranking title of his career.

The 35-year-from from Chatteris has failed to win a match in a ranking tournament since beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in a remarkable last-16 clash at the UK Championship back in December, where he fought back from 5-2 down to win 9-5 – and the world No.12 has since plummeted to 22nd in the provisional rankings.

Perry faces Scotland's Marcus Campbell – conqueror of prodigious talent Judd Trump in qualifying – in the first round tonight and insists he is full of confidence despite his poor run of results.

He told said: "Results have not been good, but I am happy with the way I have been playing.

"I've played okay, but things haven't quite gone my way and that tends to happen when you're on a bad run. I'm staying positive. I've had some tough matches in practice this week, it's been going well and I'm playing all right."

Perry has suffered five successive first-round exits since the UK Championship, where he went out at the quarter-final stage to Marco Fu, and he is fully aware of the threat world No.45 from Dumbarton will pose at the Kelvin Hall. "Marcus is a very good player, although his record over the years perhaps doesn't show it," said Perry. "I played him a long time ago and beat him in the UK Championship, it was something like 9-7, and I also beat him narrowly in a minor event, but both times they were close."

Last year an FA Cup-style draw was introduced for the Grand Prix, from the second round onwards, with all first-round winners going into a hat and Perry explained the concept has gone down well with the players.

He added: "It gives this tournament a new dimension. I don't think it would work in every event because if you do well to get in the top four you need to be rewarded for that. But this is probably an ideal tournament to break my tournament drought.

"If you do get a bit of luck with the draw you can avoid the likes of Ronnie and John Higgins until later on, or maybe not even play them at all, whereas in other events you'll be up against them in the last 16 and quarter-final stages."

Norfolk cueman Barry Pinches faces an uphill task against Shaun Murphy after coming through three rounds of qualifying.

"I'm sure he won't look at it as a walkover, but he's a class act," said Pinches. "Shaun's a better player than me, I realise that, but obviously I've got a better chance of beating him in a best-of-nine than I have in a best-of-seventeen."