Martin Gould says he has “unfinished business” at this year’s UK Championship following his agonising defeat against rank outsider David Grace in the 2015 quarter-finals.
Gould led 5-1 and was seemingly in complete control, only to lose five frames in row in the best-of-11 last eight match.
But the Pinner potter, who plays Gareth Allen in this year’s first round in York on Wednesday morning, told West London Sport: “I would love to put things right, because the UK Championship is massive.
“I’ve been pretty happy with my form but pulled out of Northern Ireland because I wanted to give myself time to prepare and just felt that if I went deep in that tournament then it might affect me.
“I have done lots of travelling in the last few weeks and just felt like I needed time to relax. The UK is one of the top three events on the calendar and I would rather be able to give my absolute best for that.”
Gould, 35, is currently ranked 20th in the world and knows he needs a good run in the tournament not just to banish the memories of last year but also to edge closer to the top 16 and qualification for the Masters in January..
“It does feel like I have unfinished business after losing the way I did last year. I really want to have a good run in York and I really want to get into the Masters.”
This post was last modified on 23/11/2016