ARFAN Dad expects an upcoming shootout against his fellow Keighley native Chris Melling at the start of next month, with the pair drawn against each other in Group 5 of the Ultimate Pool Pairs Cup.

Dad and partner Craig Waddingham will face Melling and Jordan Shepherd in the group stage on August 1.

And it will be a chance for Dad to make amends for an underwhelming year of results after joining the Ultimate Pool Professional Tour.

Dad laughed: "Chris and I have travelled together to many tournaments and he's already joked that we can share the fuel for this one.

"We'll probably end up going together, before playing against one another, which will be quite funny.

"But I know Chris and his partner Jordan quite well, growing up in the same place as Chris and being a good mate of Jordan's.

"I'd be shocked if it wasn't one of us two going through from our group, so I believe our match will be important."

Dad and Waddingham reached the last-16 in this tournament last year, and the former said: "We gelled quite well and only missed out on the last-four by one frame.

"We didn't lose a match all tournament, but just a couple of draws in the second group stage cost us.

"It was painful because we were probably the favourites to go through, as the only two pros in the group.

"But those short games (20 minutes) are a big leveller against amateurs, and Ultimate Pool have made it interesting with that format."

That previous Pairs Cup tournament came to an end six months ago for Dad, but started before he was announced as an Ultimate Pool professional last November.

Since officially joining the circuit, Dad's results have largely not been what he was after.

He said: "I get asked a lot how it's been going, and I was coming off a good year in 2021.

"But I've just not got the results I feel my performances have deserved, and my best individual effort is still getting to the Pro Cup last-16 around Christmas time.

"I've got to the last 32 of a few pro events, but players have done well against me, like Craig and then Declan Brennan in the last Pro Series the other weekend.

"I've had games where I'd be 3-0 down before even getting to the table, and others where I'd lose 7-6 from being 6-3 up after having dry breaks, then the other player clearing up.

"Sometimes it is just that the other player does unbelievably and you don't get chances."

But Dad added: "I'm staying positive and hoping things go my way.

"I think I'm 34th in the rankings right now, but a deep run in the Pairs Cup, the upcoming Masters, or the two Pro Series events left and I can shoot up.

"If I can go far in a couple, there's plenty of chances for ranking points."

The tournaments keep coming for Dad, who said: "I'm in the Grand Final of the Manchester Blackball Series this weekend, which is a biggish tournament that mixes amateurs and pros.

"In general though, I don't tend to talk about events outside of Ultimate Pool and the GB 9-Ball Tour.

"Chris and I both got to the quarter-final of the last GB 9-Ball event last month, with the next one in August."