Shropshire’s Adrian Gunnell was today attempting to overcome a snooker legend to book his place in next week’s UK Championships in his home town.

Gunnell was taking on six-times world champion Steve Davis in Sheffield over the best of 17-frames.

And at stake is a place in the elite 32-man field which will assemble at Telford’s International Centre next week for the sport’s second biggest tournament.

Gunnell is desperate for another crack at Davis after losing 5-4 in the pair’s only previous meeting in the last 16 of the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Scotland in October.

“It’s a game I’m really looking forward to,” said Dawley-based Gunnell.

“If you can’t look forward to playing a legend of the game you should have already thrown your cue away and there is obviously a big incentive to try and reach Telford.”Gunnell will enter today’s clash in high spirits after defeating Matthew Selt 9-4 in the penultimate round of qualifying on Saturday.

A break of 143 helped Selt lead 3-2 in the early stages, but Gunnell fought back to claim the final three frames of the morning session.

Gunnell won four of the five frames played in the evening to cross the winning line – and then revealed advice from renowned coach Del Hill had proved crucial in the success.

“Del just gave me a few things to work on and it did the trick,” added the Telford cueman.

“I was concentrating on that rather than worrying about how important it was for me to win the game or tightening up as the winning line got clear.”

Two former world champions, Mark Williams and Ken Doherty, booked their places in the final stages at Telford with victories over Gerrard Greene and Liu Chuang respectively.

But the tournament will be played without one of the sport’s most popular figures. Jimmy White lost his penultimate qualifying round match against Rory McLeod 9-8.