Simon Bedford has climbed to third place on the Challenge Tour after an amazing weekend of drama.

The 25-year-old Bradford left-hander was involved in an accident on Friday night in which his mother Ann's car was written off.

Then, having had virtually no sleep after sufering whiplash injuries, he played his last-16 clash against Andy Neck in obvious discomfort.

However, a gritty Bedford defeated a man who missed out on this season's Main Tour by one place by 5-1, and then lost a highly-competitive quarter-final 5-3 on Saturday afternoon to Mansfield's Lee Spick.

The top-eight qualify to join next season's elite, and Bedford has improved from joint fifth with only one tournament to go.

Looking back on his accident at Bolton Junction, the 'Bradford Blizzard' said: "The car was a write-off, and I think I would have been killed if I hadn't had my seat belt on.

"I was going down towards Bolton Road and somebody turned right towards Undercliffe. I only had a second to brake. My brother Michael was in the car with me - we were on our way back from the tournament at the Manhattan Snooker Club in Harrogate - and he also suffered whiplash, but he is OK."

Added Simon: "I hardly slept a wink Friday night. I had been given some pain-killers at Bradford Royal Infirmary, but daren't take them in case they contained a banned drug on the World Snooker Association's list.

"I wasn't going to play my match against Andy, and I was surprised that I won - maybe my injury put him off!"

Neck, from Newton Abbot, won the opening frame on the black, but Bedford levelled with a 50 break, and won the fifth 75-65 after Neck had started with a 65.

In the quarter-finals, Spick - like Bedford relegated from the Main Tour last season - went 2-0 ahead after breaks of 46, 45 and 35, but Bedford, despite his aches and pains, fired in efforts of 59, 70 and a tournament highest break-equalling 141 to go 3-2 ahead.

Former junior international Spick, however, hit back with a 137 and led by over 40 in the seventh, but only won it on the black. He crossed the finishing line with a 57. Spick then went on to defeat Steven Bennie 5-1 in the semi-final and Joe Delaney 6-3 in the final.