ACCRINGTON cue-master Shokat Ali faces Welshman Darren Morgan in the last 32 of the Liverpool Victoria UK Championship at Bournemouth after knocking out 13th-seed Peter Ebdon in the third round.

Twenty-nine-year-old Ali complied breaks of 99, 98, 85 and 71 in completing a 9-4 win over Ebdon, who was runner-up in the tournament in 1995, to reach the televised stages.

"I kept him under pressure from start to finish and in the end it showed. To beat someone as good as Peter will do my confidence a lot of good," said Ali, who has recovered from a slow start to the season.

Ali is now guaranteed a pay-cheque of £3,650 but will be hoping to keep his run going against Morgan, ranked 28th in the world but who struggled to beat David Gray 9-8 in round three.

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