Mark Lloyd enjoys battles with snooker stars Stuart Bingham and Mark Allen in Pink Ribbon Tournament

The English under-21 champion was eventually knocked out by household names Stuart Bingham and Mark Allen.

A record 397 entries – with each player able to enter twice – signed up for the 10th running of the Breast Cancer Now charity event at the South West Snooker Academy.

Lloyd won three matches in the top half of the draw and another three in the bottom half to reach the round where the professionals entered.

The 19-year-old, from Gosport, then lost 3-0 to former world champion Bingham, who went on to win the final.

However, the teenager insisted the scoreline did not reflect the match.

‘It was a great experience,’ said Lloyd, who plays for Waterlooville in the Portsmouth & District League.

‘We had good safety battles and the first two frames were decided on the pink and a re-spotted black – both going in Stuart’s favour.’

In the bottom half, Lloyd beat rookie professional Riley Parsons 3-0 but went down 4-1 to Allen, who lost to Bingham in the final.

He took the first frame against the 2018 Masters champion but didn’t have the run of the balls in the next and lost the third to a 132 clearance.

Lloyd added: ‘I was pleased to have got drawn against a former Masters and former world champion.

‘Both players deserved to get to the final of the event from what I witnessed.

‘Hopefully, I’ll get more experiences of playing players who are of that class again at some point soon.’