Curling: Scots seal play-offs spot.

Snooker: Scot loses in second round but says he can still mix it with the best

Three-time World Championship semi-finalist Alan McManus may be out of the English Open but insisted there were plenty of positives to take from his campaign in Crawley.

The 48-year-old, pictured right, progressed to the second round with an impressive 4-2 win over two-time world runnerup Ali Carter, but couldn’t follow that up against China’s Tian Pengfei, succumbing to defeat by the same scoreline.

McManus raced into the lead with a break of 93 in the first frame, but found himself pegged back to 3-1 down as Tian found his form with two halfcenturies in the next three.

A 96-6 score in the fifth frame gave the Glaswegian hope of a comeback win, but world number 68 Tian put the game to bed in the next.

Despite the loss, McManus was upbeat about his performance in West Sussex, and believes he has proved he can still mix it with the best.

“I felt good,” he said. “I started well and it could have gone either way out there, similar to my first match against Ali.

“A shot here or there was the difference and that’s what happens in best-ofseven-frames matches.

“Tian’s a really good player and I’ve got no idea how he’s been outside the top

64 for so long. He plays the game properly, and he just needs to work out how to get better results at the top level which I know he is capable of. But I’m pleased overall because I feel I’m playing well and I’m able to compete, and that’s what I’m looking for.” Although McManus’s English Open journey is over, he won’t have long to wait until he is back in competition mode, with a hectic snooker period on the horizon. And he insisted he hopes to carry his healthy form into the upcoming tournaments, as he combines playing time with his role as a pundit on TV.

He said: “I’m happy with how I’m performing, which is the main thing in the lead up to Christmas.

“We don’t have to wait long for the tournaments as they come thick and fast now – and I’ve got a big game against Shaun Murphy at the World Open to look forward to at the end of the month.

“I’m looking forward to the period ahead, and I always enjoying getting back in the studio and in the commentary box, too.”

Elsewhere, 2006 world champion Graeme Dott successfully made it through to the third round, the Larkhall potter cruising to a 4-0 win over world number 65 Mike Dunn.

Watch the English Open live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with studio analysis from Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jimmy White