David Grace

Name: David Grace

DOB: 5th May 1985

Nationality: English

Turned Pro: 2008

Highest Ranking: #87 (2011)

Highest Break: 139 (2011 PTC3)

Career Highlights: 2008 European Champion, Pontin’s Open Champion & English Amateur Champion,  2005 English Amateur Champion, 2003 Pontin’s under-19 Champion, 2009 World Games Finalist

Junior Career

David first entered the main tour in 2008/9 with a formidable amateur record behind him having won the English Amateur Championship in 2005 and 2008, as well as in the 2003 Pontin’s under-19 Championship. His most significant success came in the 2008 European Championship however when he defeated Bolton amateur Craig Steadman 7-6 in the final to secure a place on the main tour for the following season.

2008/9

Aside from a strong run to the last 64 of the Grand Prix it proved to be a début season to forget for David as he failed to win another match and finished up in 93rd place, losing his place on the tour as a result.

He had a chance to go further in the UK Championship when he led Jimmy White 8-6 with three frames to go but it was the Whirlwind who managed to recover and take them all but ending David’s hopes of survival.

2010/11

Following a couple of years among the amateur ranks, David entered the new Q School at the end of the 2010/11 season in the hope of securing a return to the main tour. This he did in the first event as he defeated Gareth Allen, Mitchell Travis, Sydney Wilson, Jamie O’Neill and finally young Chinese talent Zhang Anda 4-1 to secure a professional place.

2011/12

David made an unremarkable start to his second season as a professional as he struggled for victories during the majority of the PTC events, as well as the full ranking tournaments held such as the Australian Goldfields Open.

David at the 2011 Pink Ribbon Tournament

He was to however to finish the PTC events strongly with last 16 runs at both PTC10 and PTC12 to give himself an outside chance of retaining his place on the tour for the following season via the PTC Order of Merit.