Fen Potter Joe Perry surrenders 3-0 lead to crash out of Welsh Open

FEN Potter Joe Perry threw away a 3-0 lead as an Alan McManus fightback dumped him out of the Welsh Open.

The Chatteris star produced his best performance of the season to whitewash world number one and reigning UK and Masters champion Mark Selby 4-0 on Wednesday.

He began last night’s last 16 clash in the same mood, making breaks of 55 and 80 on his way to claiming the first three frames.

But world number 55 McManus rallied, restricting Perry’s chances of winning the frame he needed to secure a quarter-final spot. The Scot won four frames in a row, with breaks of 27 and 46 enough to clinch the decider and set up a clash with Stephen Maguire.

Perry, the current world number 19, failed to qualify for this year’s UK Championship but he is battling to re-enter the game’s top-16 for a record fourth time.

In November, he told The Cambs Times: “I’ve played snooker all my life. When I win I feel 18 and when I lose I feel 58. I’ll just keep plugging away.”