European Masters snooker - Delighted Mark Davis reunited with lost cue after public appeal

ByEurosport

Updated 04/10/2020 at 13:01 GMT

Mark Davis made a public appeal for the return of his cue after he left it in his hotel car park, forcing him to withdraw from the European Masters in Milton Keynes. He was reunited with the cue after offering a £1000 reward for its return.

Mark Davis

Image credit: Eurosport

Mark Davis has been reunited with his trusty cue of 20 years after a public appeal to find the lost stick paid off.

Davis had offered a £1,000 reward as he attempted to retrieve the cue that forced him to withdraw from the European Masters in Milton Keynes.

“Just to let you know, I have got the cue back now. Just want to say thank you to everyone who shared the message about it and helped to get it returned. Thanks again," said Davis on Facebook.

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The world number 39 from Hastings had been due to face three-times world champion Mark Selby in the third round of the tournament behind closed doors after driving to the Marshall Arena on Friday.

Those hopes were dashed when the former six-red world champion discovered he had accidentally left the cue he had operated with for 20 years of his 29-year professional career in the car park of the hotel he had been staying at.

When he drove back to the hotel, he discovered the cue was gone after checking to see if he had left it in his room.

The 2018 English Open runner-up was left devastated as he immediately withdrew from the second ranking event of the new season, but the story has had a happy ending.

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“I rushed back to the hotel, asked in reception and even went to check my room, but I knew what had happened, the cue was gone,” said Davis.

“Someone must have seen it leaning against the car and nicked it. I was ridiculously stupid. I must have been on auto pilot and not paying attention to where I had put it. I realised I was going to have to pull out.

“My head is spinning and I am absolutely gutted, firstly because my cue is gone and secondly because I’ve had to withdraw from a tournament, which has hardly ever happened to me in nearly 30 years as a pro, and never for such a daft reason.”

Davis has a replica cue made by cue maker John Parris, but will no longer need to use it at the Championship League next week.

Selby will face Ding Junhui in the quarter-finals after recovering from 4-1 to win an epic last-16 clash 5-4 with Stuart Bingham.

Bingham made breaks of 112, 132 and 64 on his way to a commanding lead, but Selby found top gear to progress with runs 114, 72, 64 and 54 enough to edge out the 2015 world champion.