Oliver out to Trump his father and deliver York upset

The 21-year-old Leeds potter faces former world No 1 Trump, a former UK champion, tomorrow night in York in their second-round match.

It’s a tough proposition for Lines, but watching his father Peter beat defending champion Neil Robertson on Thursday has shown the unexpected can happen.

“There isn’t a much more inspiring result than seeing your dad beat the defending champion in the second biggest tournament there is,” said Lines, who trains with Trump at the Grove Academy in Romford, Essex. “I don’t think I have ever looked forward more to playing a match, than I have this one.

“This is the biggest stage I have played on - having not qualified for the Crucible yet - and to be playing one of my best friends, who is also world No 3, it doesn’t really get much better than that.

“But friendship to one side, we will both by desperate to win on Sunday night.”

Lines has had some tough draws this season, losing to the likes of former world champions Robertson (European Masters and International Championship), Shaun Murphy (last 16 of Indian Open) and John Higgins (World Open).

So to beat Martin O’Donnell in his first-round match in York on Wednesday, squeezing through 6-5, was a much-needed confidence booster.

“I was looking at my results, and I haven’t had as bad a season as i thought, I just haven’t performed very well against the top boys,” said Lines. “I was a bit low in confidence, for some reason, so the win on Wednesday really helped. Snooker is the worst sport for confidence, it only comes from winning.”

Also tomorrow, Pickering’s Paul Davison, 45, is in second-round action, when he takes on Ben Woollaston. The world No 95 trains in York, so will have the home support behind him.

“It always has been a home tournament, there’s years when I have not been in it, which hurts,” said Davison.

“It is nice to get out of bed in the morning and come to the tournament instead of checking into a hotel the day before or going to an airport.”