PAUL DAVISON has pitted his wits against some of snooker’s biggest names this season – and he will need to attempt another giant-killing act when he travels to the German Masters.

The Pickering potter has faced an unenviable task in ranking events, locking horns with two world champions as he has tried to climb the ladder into the game’s top 64.

After beating Jamie Jones 5-3 to reach the second round at the Tempodrom in Berlin next month, the task will get no easier.

World number nine Marco Fu, who won the Australian Open in July and reached the final of the International Championship in November, is set to be the formidable opponent that stands in his way.

Davison will take heart from Fu’s demise at the hands of amateur Mitchell Travis in the first round of the UK Championship in York last month, but the clash will be just the latest in a series of high profile matches the 42-year-old has faced.

“I’ve qualified for five out of eight venues, which is a nice achievement, but every time I have won a match I have come up against one of the big hitters,” he said.

“This season I’ve played Mark Williams (International Championship), Shaun Murphy (UK Championship) and Stephen Maguire (Indian Open). Certainly there are some easier matches in the last 64.

“It would be nice to get to a venue and win two or three matches. If you do that anything can happen.”

Davison clinched his German spot with a good win over world number 38 Jones in the first round qualifier at Barnsley – leading 3-0 before halting a mini fight-back with a break of 97 to clinch the victory.

He was hoping for a ranking tournament double but lost 5-1 to Mike Dunn in the opening round of the Haikou World Open, also staged in South Yorkshire.

But, that disappointment aside, he is looking forward to stepping once again into the arena at the huge Tempodrom. He qualified two years ago for the last 32 at the 2,500-seat hall but was conquered by Judd Trump.

“It’s a fantastic venue and I am over the moon to get through,” Davison added. “Jamie Jones is a very dangerous player. I was a bit fortunate to win the first two frames. I needed a snooker in the first, got it and cleared up and I was 45 behind in the second. I made 67 to go 3-0, after he had made 64, and he did the same to me in the next.

“I made a 50-odd to go 4-2 and, in the last frame, I left him in trouble from the break and potted a red to the yellow pocket to get in. It was a poor game from start to finish (against Dunn). I felt lethargic and tired. I would have played Mark Allen in the next round and I would have loved to have had a crack at him but I’m pleased to qualify for Berlin.”