THE chance to win a world title is only one match away for Pickering snooker professional Paul Davison.

He has reached the English Open Championship final and one of the prizes for the winner is a place in the World Amateur Championship.

The English Championship is open to amateurs and professionals and there is no bar on professionals competing for the world amateur title.

Davison, who represents Filey Snooker Club, beat Bradford's Simon Bedford in the English Championship northern final at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.

In the national final at King's Lynn, Norfolk, on May 11, he will play southern champion Richard King, a former Main Tour snooker pro.

"The world amateurs was in Egypt last year, so wherever it is this time it will be a good trip abroad," said Davison, perking up at the prospect following a sickening defeat in the Regal Scottish Masters third qualifying round at Burton on Trent.

"And the losing finalist at the English Open gets a place in the European Amateur Championship, which was in Latvia last season."

Davison's 5-4 defeat by Cardiff's Paul Davies last week, with the Welshman winning three of the frames on black after having been well behind, had the Pickering player down in the dumps because he thought that loss would blow his chances of staying on snooker's Main Tour next season.

He had worked out before the start of the Scottish Masters that he needed to win three matches to make sure of keeping his place in the Main Tour. Going out would be a big blow because the Main Tour gives players the chance to break into the big-time with top money prizes.

He swept aside 1985 world champion Joe Johnson and then Luke Fisher in the first two qualifying rounds before going out to Davies.

Checking his position after that defeat, Davison was told by officials that all is not lost and they reckon unofficially that because of the results of other players he has an 80 per cent chance of keeping his Main Tour place.

So the season has a brighter finish in prospect for Davison than he had feared. He has two more tournaments to play, in Manchester and a Pontin's event, before his English final date.

Updated: 11:45 Monday, April 01, 2002