Perry sparkles in opening session

Joe Perry gained the upper hand over David Gray in their Travis Perkins UK Championship semi-final at York’s Barbican Centre today, leading 5-3 after the opening session.

The unheralded duo, who have formed a surprise last-four match-up in a tournament full of shock results, rubbished suggestions that their clash would be a lacklustre affair by producing some high-quality snooker.

The contest got off to an impressive start as Perry’s first scoring visit to the table was a 102 break and then Gray, who made a maximum 147 against Mark Selby last week, immediately responded with a 105.

The next four frames were also shared before world number 20 Perry, from Cambridgeshire, edged ahead thanks to a 56 and he then showed commendable composure to ensure he led by two going into tonight’s conclusion.

It was a tight last frame of the session but 29-year-old Perry cut in a fine blue to leave himself needing only the pink, which he knocked in to give himself a psychological edge over the 14th seed.

Gray and Perry are meeting for the right to face either rising Scottish star Stephen Maguire or world number 23 Mark King on Sunday, with the second semi-final taking place tomorrow.