SHOKAT Ali has moved up to number 41 in the provisional world snooker rankings.

And the Accrington ace is on course to achieve his aim of making the top 32 this season.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) changed the rules this year so that only the top 64 in the world automatically get a place on the professional tour.

The other places will be made up of the top 16 performers over the last 12 months, not including those already in the top 64, and a number of overseas and other qualifiers.

Placed 68 in the world at the beginning of this season, 30-year-old Ali has felt the pressure this year as he fights to improve his ranking to stay on the lucrative tour.

He said: "It is like every game is a pressure game now. They all mean something. Staying on the professional tour is so important because it is a guaranteed income and it means you are playing at the pinnacle of your sport."

Superb performances in the first five ranking events of the season have pushed Ali, who is sponsored by personal injury claims specialists Chancery Medical, up the provisional rankings to 41. The World rankings are calculated using scores from performances over the last two years.

A WPBSA spokeperson said: "What Shokat needs to do now is get into the top 32 in the last three rankings events to have a chance of improving his score even more."