CHATTERIS S Joe Perry has been in the Middle East this week, competing in the Bahrain Snooker Championships. The world No. 12 made a good start, when he beat Rod Lawler 5-1 in the first round – making breaks of 81 and 123 on the way to victory. But Perry,

CHATTERIS'S Joe Perry has been in the Middle East this week, competing in the Bahrain Snooker Championships.

The world No. 12 made a good start, when he beat Rod Lawler 5-1 in the first round - making breaks of 81 and 123 on the way to victory.

But Perry, pictured, was knocked out in the second stage, when he was beaten 5-0 by world No. 2 Stephen Maguire.

The championships are being held in the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, in the country's capital, Manama and the final will be held tomorrow (Saturday).

It is the first world ranking snooker tournament to have been staged in the Kingdom of Bahrain and World Snooker hope it will help to increase the sport's popularity in the Middle East.

Perry suffered his first Premier League defeat last Thursday, when he went down 4-2 to China's Ding Junhui.

The match was played at the Newport Centre, in Wales, and was shown on Sky television.

Perry, who is now third in the seven-man table, is back in action on November 20 when he takes on former world champion John Higgins, who is sixth.