Gosport potter Mark Lloyd gunning for future spot on professional circuit after getting 'monkey off his back' at Snooker Shoot Out event

Now the Gosport-based amateur player is setting his sights on fulfilling another personal wish in the sport by becoming a professional player.

Lloyd, 22, defeated Ireland's Michael Judge on his way to a second-round exit to former Masters winner Mark Allen in the quickfire Snooker Shoot Out event.

For the Stoke Snooker Club player, it represented a welcome relief on the back of ranking event deciding frame losses to David Grace and Yuan Sijun arriving in the English Open and European Masters qualifying stages, as well as a Championship League group stage 2-2 draw with Michael Holt coming on the main tour earlier this season.

Despite remaining an amateur in the early stages of his career, Lloyd's run to the Q School quarter-finals - an event where players can win a professional tour card – last summer has allowed him the opportunity to get a taste of life in some top level competitions.

And now the former Brune Park School pupil is determined to take the next step and make it on the pro circuit in the future.

‘It was quite nice, in a way, just to pass that criteria (first main tour win) and get the monkey off the back sort of thing of by actually winning a main tour match - especially on tele as well, which is another nice box to tick,’ said the Gosport potter.

‘The aspiration is obviously to break onto the main tour and hopefully make a decent living out of it. I’ve decided to give it a proper go now more than ever (chasing professional dream).

‘I’ve given it a proper go now and it’s just a case of whether I actually make it through onto the main tour.’

Lloyd clocks up the hours practicing on his own table at Gosport's Stoke Snooker Club. The former national under-21 champion is currently focusing on the sport full-time to provide himself the best chance of one day making it onto the pro tour.

And he believes the current season he has been afforded as an amateur - where he has been part of ranking events and even faced world champion Mark Selby in Northern Ireland qualifying - will only work as a benefit moving forward.

Lloyd, who faces Julian Leclerq in the first round of this weekend's Q Tour 3 event in Leicester on Saturday, added: ‘Every player's dream is to actually get on the TV. I grew up watching people like Ronnie (O’Sullivan) and this season I’ve been lucky enough to play the same day as him in the Championship League and I’ve even had a little conversation with Ronnie.

‘I did well in Q School last year so I’ve basically had a year on the tour without being a pro, which has been quite nice.

‘I’ve basically had a year on the tour which, to be honest, World Snooker have done a great job giving the amateurs a bit of exposure.’

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