BENITO van de PAS admitted he wants his outstanding form in Barnsley to be a “springboard” for a return to the big time.
The quiet Dutchman has slipped off the radar after a difficult 12 months but looked back to his old self at the Metrodome
Big Ben was impressive averaging over 100 from four games before losing out in the last 16 to eventual finalist Dave Chisnall.
Before then he had smashed Cristo Reyes 6-1, Zoran Lerchbacher 6-5 and Madars Razma in a cracking run.
He admitted: “Obviously I’m pretty pleased with how I played today, it’s a big improvement. I can feel the form coming back, this has been coming for a few weeks now.
“Maybe it’s something about the air in Barnsley. I have won two Players Championships at the Metrodome in 2016, so it’s a good venue for me.
“I’m done to World No.48 but I know I’m a lot better than that. But now this good run must be some sort of springboard for me to improve and become more consistent.
“It’s a nice feeling to a few good wins with a good average. I’ve had a really hard 18 months and I even considered quitting but I feel like I’m coming back to a better place. Winning games will certainly help me get back to the top where I want to be.”
Jamie Hughes missed out on the final after a last leg decider agony against Chisnall, going down 7-6. Yozza had beaten Gerwyn Price en route to the last four.
James Wilson was KO’d by Hughes in the quarters after yet another solid afternoon, taking out Glen Durrant, Krzysztof Ratajski and Max Hopp in the previous rounds.
Daryl Gurney and Nathan Rafferty went out in the last 64 to Steve Lennon and Nathan Aspinall respectively.
By Phil Lanning