Bradford snooker professional Simon Bedford made it through to the last 32 of the first Players' Tour Championship (PTC) of the season at the Snooker Academy in Sheffield, where amateur players are eligible to compete alongside main tour professionals.

With vital ranking points available from these events, it was essential that Bedford made a good start to the season, having briefly fallen off the main tour at the end of last season, only to regain his place thanks to a semi-final qualifying spot in the new Q School format in May.

Bedford joined the competition at the third-round stage and faced three-time ranking event finalist Ryan Day.

A dreadful start by Bradford’s left-hander meant world No 28 Day raced into a 3-0 lead, but a gritty performance saw Bedford win four frames on the bounce to take the match 4-3.

The next match went all the way as well before Bedford overcame Robert Milkins by the same scoreline, but he just fell short against Fergal O’Brien, going down 4-2.

Bradford champion Gareth Green, from Lifeline Leisure, and Damian Wilks, of QTips Snooker Centre, were also involved at the event.

Green received a bye in round one and edged out Mitchell Mann 4-3 in the second round before losing 4-1 to Dominic Dale, Green making a break of 124 in his solitary frame win.

Wilks beat Oliver Brown 4-1 in his first match, but fell in the second round to Andrew Milliard 4-3.

The competition was won by Ronnie O’Sullivan, his first ranking event triumph in 21 months.

He defeated Joe Perry 4-0 in the final, outlining his intention to climb back up the rankings from his current placing of 11th.

It was then straight into the Australian Open qualifiers for Bedford, who needed four wins to qualify for the main event later this month in Victoria.

It is the first ranking event to take place in Australia, and Bedford was lined up to face O’Sullivan in the first round at the main venue, but found himself on the wrong end of an agonising 5-4 defeat to youngster Liam Highfield, who made it to the final qualifying round before being beaten by Dale.