KEIGHLEY pool star Chris Melling has been in hugely impressive form in the 8-ball game, and he could be content with his efforts over the weekend on the world stage in the 9-ball format.

Melling has never made it beyond the last-eight of the World 9-ball Pool Championship before, with his best effort a quarter-final appearance in 2013.

A decade on, he was in Poland for the latest staging of the annual tournament, and while he was not expected to make a title tilt, his sensational form back in the UK meant no-one was looking forward to facing him.

The first month of 2023 has seen him make it through to the Ultimate Pool Champions League last-16, win his Masters group and go viral for a 'shot heard around the world'.

And after winning Event Two of the 2023 Ultimate Pool Pro Series a fortnight ago, he was made world number one on that tour.

He was drawn to face Vietnamese potter Duong Quoc Hoang in his first game out in Kielce, and lost a thriller 9-8.

That meant he had to beat Norwegian Jonas Kvalsund Hansen to reach the last-64, which he did just, winning that encounter 9-8.

That put him through to face Singapore hotshot Aloysius Yapp.

In a marathon match, Melling edged 4-3 in front early on, but Yapp clawed his way back to claim an 11-8 victory and knock the Englishman out.

In the end, it was number two seed Francisco Sanchez Ruiz who won the tournament, the Spaniard beating Syrian underdog Mohammad Soufi 13-10 in a superb final.