Snooker: Parrott homes in away

JOHN PARROTT has forsaken his home comforts to practise at his old Liverpool City Centre snooker club. 'It was getting too cosy playing in my own front room,' Parrott said yesterday after joining the Welshman, Darren Morgan, in the semi-finals of the Royal Liver Assurance UK championship in Preston.

'I would always stop for a cup of tea or perhaps to watch something on the television,' the 29-year-old Merseysider, who has had a practice table installed at his house, said. 'Now, while I'm not quite a 9-to-5 man I am definitely 11 to 4,' he said after defeating the world No 9, Nigel Bond 9-5.

'They give me free time on the table down at the club and in return I'm supposed to bring in a bit of custom,' he added. 'It's a good atmosphere down there and practice is enjoyable not a chore.'

Parrott, beaten only twice at the Guild Hall in the last four seasons, resumed with a 6-2 overnight lead and found Bond a more determined opponent. The Darley Dale man began by taking three of the first four frames and should have claimed the lot.

After potting the last red and taking the colours up to and including the blue in frame 10, he missed the pink. Parrott made no mistake to record his only success before the mid-session interval.

In another quarter-final, Steve Davis and Ronnie O'Sullivan were level at 4-4 after the first session. Davis struggled as his 17-year-old rival cruised to a 4-0 lead but he hit back to exploit O'Sullivan's mistakes.

ROYAL LIVER ASSURANCE UK CHAMPIONSHIP (Preston) Quarter-final: J Parrott (Eng) bt N Bond (Eng) 9-5.