Nathan Ellis became the first amateur to make it through to the last 32 of this year’s Ultimate Pool Masters after he won Group D of the competition on Monday night.

Challenger Series player Ellis defeated Darren McCarthy 8-5 in the evening’s opening tie. Ellis established a 3-0 lead before McCarthy got a foothold in the match by levelling at 4-4 and 5-5. However, Ellis finished the match strong, claiming the final three frames to progress.

Next up, Conor Treacy produced a brilliant display to eliminate Ultimate Pool professional Greg Batten 8-2 – the first time in this year’s event an amateur had defeated a professional.

Batten struggled to make a ball off his break, registering just one successful attempt in five. A very efficient Treacy capitalised, scoring four reverse clearances – and two break clearances – during an impressive win.

Treacy didn’t have long to recharge as he came back for the group final, and he quickly found himself 3-0 down to Ellis before stringing together three frames of his own to make it 3-3.

Ellis reclaimed the lead with frame seven, but it looked like Treacy was taking control as he went on another three frame spurt for a 6-4 lead.

Momentum would swing again, though. Ellis crafted beautiful back-to-back reverse and break clearances to square up at 6-6 and then secured frame 13 to move onto the hill, although Treacy forced a decider – the third group final to go all the way in four weeks.

Treacy broke in the final frame, but was unsuccessful. It was a running theme for him throughout the match, registering just two wet and legal breaks in eight attempts. Ellis came to the table to subsequently clear, finishing off with a double on the 8-ball to advance. In total, Ellis constructed four reverse clearances during the tie.