SNOOKER ace Richard King is aiming for a return to the sport's main tour after the biggest win of his 11-year professional career at the weekend.

The Bewdley 27-year-old clinched the prestigious English Open Championship with an 8-5 win over world number 68 Paul Davison from Yorkshire.

King will represent England in the International Billiards and Snooker Federation World Championships in Egypt in October after his success at Kings Lynn on Saturday.

The professional, who dropped off the main tour at the end of last season, is aiming to return among the top 128 players from his current ranking of 143.

But King may have to rely on being granted a wildcard unless he can reach the quarter-finals of the final Open Tour event at Prestatyn this weekend.

He said: "I was on the main tour for two seasons but didn't do well enough to stay on. It's frustrating because I feel I could do a lot better now with the experience.

"The money isn't very good on this tour unless you're winning things but I've had a bit of an erratic season until this tournament.

"The financial rewards are not great with the English Open either but it is a very prestigious event. A lot of good players have won it in the past, including Ronnie O'Sullivan.

"I'm hoping it might give me a wild card onto the main tour.

"I've been working a little bit behind the bar at the snooker club and at the George Hotel in Bewdley to keep me going. I will probably have a couple of months working full-time until the start of the new season."

King, who practises at Snooks in Kidderminster, admitted the English Open was his biggest trophy success after winning a series of pro-ams and junior tournaments in the past.

He was one of 227 entrants for the competition, open to all players outside the world's top 64, and beat a host of higher-ranked opponents in six matches to reach the final.

King recovered from a nervous start against Davison when he trailed 4-3 at the end of the morning and won the next four frames in a row.

Despite a brief Davison comeback, King maintained his composure and two swift visits to the table completed a success which earned him £700 and was watched by new world champion Peter Ebdon.

He added: "I expected to win though I don't think many other people expected me to!

"I was so disappointed with the way I played in the morning but I had time to think about where I had gone wrong and I really wanted the trophy badly.

"It's going to be nice to wear the three lions on my waist coat in Egypt, a bit of a dream come true for me."