CHRIS Melling made an excellent start to his European Tour campaign today in Latvia – despite his cue going missing in transit.
The Keighley potter defeated former World Championship and UK Championship semi-finalist Joe Perry 4-2 in the third round of the Kaspersky lab Riga Open.
Melling won the first frame with a break of 84 and the third with efforts of 28 and 39, allowing Perry no points in either, before pinching the fifth 66-63 on the black from 63-8 behind with breaks of 31 and 27.
He tweeted: "Beat Joe Perry 4-2 got a bit of luck, played ok in the balls but long game and safety was poor, I'm blaming the cue lol."
The former world pool champion, whose cue went missing in transit, will now play fellow 35-year-old Ian Glover, from Doncaster, tomorrow afternoon (1.30 BST).
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