SHEPPEY'S top pool professional has won through to the quarter-finals of the Embassy World 8-Ball Pool Championships in Blackpool.

Carl Morris, of The Nore Hotel in Sheerness, is due to play against current European champion Frenchman Yannick Beaufils tomorrow.

It is the fifth year in a row that Morris has reached the Sky televised last eight stage and on paper he is favourite to win the tournament as he did in 1998.

Morris, seeded number two in the competition and ranked second in the world, is hoping to improve on last year's performance when his best friend Phil Harrison knocked him out at this stage.

To keep his eye in, Morris took part in two exhibition matches in Maidstone and Caterton near Oxford in the days running up to the tournament where he raised £1,5000 for the Deaf Children's Society.

Morris was world number one in 1999 and 2000 and with current world champion Chris Melling already knocked out of the championship the Islander has a great chance.