PICKERING snooker professional Paul Davison saw a 3-1 lead including a century break count for nothing as he lost 5-3 to Nick Walker in the first qualifying round of the Regal Welsh tournament at Burton upon Trent yesterday.

"I should never have lost after leading 3-1," he said today. "But after the interval he won the scrappy frames.

"If I could just have won one of those, but I didn't. It was so disappointing.

"Mind you, he is the man in form. He has won 14 of his last 16 qualifying matches. I was thinking beforehand that I'd be happy to be able to give him a game. But I should have won."

Davison, who works at Filey Snooker Club, won the first frame with a 42 clearance. He made a break of exactly 100 in winning the second and missed the 14th red when in with a chance of a possible 143 break.

Walker won the third frame with a 50 break but Davison took the next to go into the interval 3-1 up. Walker made a 60 break to win the fifth frame and Davison did not get a chance in the next two frames and found himself 4-3 down. His hopes disappeared when Walker knocked in an 80 break to clinch the match.

Davison plays a minor tournament in Swindon later this month before the Embassy World Championship qualifiers starting on February 12.

Updated: 12:20 Friday, January 04, 2002