KARL Boyes shook up the competition when he joined the Ultimate Pool ranks last summer, and the Bradford native is set to get even better in 2023.

The 40-year-old won the World 8-Ball Championship in 2010, and played for Europe in four Mosconi Cup wins over the USA between 2010 and 2015.

He has since become a Matchroom pundit and YouTube host of videos on pool, but after signing up to Ultimate Pool last June, he has reached two Pro Series semi-finals and The Players Championship final.

Asked to assess his return, Boyes told the T&A: "Obviously I played when I was younger and only stopped for a bit, so I knew I'd got it in me, I just didn't think I'd play this well this soon.

"But I didn't win those tournaments I reached the semis and final in, so that's the bottom line.

"Last season was more a case of rocking up at events and playing, and while I'm not saying I need loads of practice to start winning tournaments, doing a bit is always going to help.

"This year, a friend who's also on the tour and I have sorted ourselves a table to practice on, which should benefit us both."

When Boyes spoke to the T&A last June just after his return to the table, he insisted his punditry and YouTube channel were still the priority.

Just over six months later, he said: "I still want to have all that off the table stuff.

"Ultimately I work for Matchroom still, covering their 9-ball Tour as a pundit, and I don't want to lose that gig.

"Ultimate Pool is more a case of me being at home and free and not having commitments with Matchroom at that time.

"It helps that 90 per cent of Ultimate Pool's tournaments are in Blackpool, which is where I live now, so I can get there easily.

"There's no major comeback on the way from me as a player."

Discussing his Ultimate Pool rivals, Boyes said: "I've seen a lot of new faces since I joined last summer and there's certainly more strength in depth in the sport than there used to be.

"In truth, Ultimate Pool is the only English 8-Ball pool tour that's really got things right in the modern era, in terms of getting video clips out there and using social media effectively.

"A lot of us guys in our late 30s and early 40s still do well in their tournaments, because while pool's not an easy game, once you've been at the top level you can keep competing.

"It's not like swimming or football for example, where age can catch up with you."

Boyes is only six years younger than Pontefract potter Darren Appleton, who has won 9-ball and 10-ball world titles.

The duo paired up to represent Britain in the World Cup of Pool last year, losing to Germany in the final, but Appleton is currently in hospital having suffered a heart attack last month.

He posted a picture of himself in his hospital bed on social media on Tuesday, thanking everyone for their support.

Boyes said: "It came as a shock, because I've known Darren since I was 15.

"We were all only getting snippets of information on him for a while, and it was sounding very serious.

"I'm glad he seems to be on the mend now, and hopefully he gets fit and well and is maybe able to compete again soon."