Vintage Davis stuns Maguire

SNOOKER: Steve Davis was back to his best last night as he produced a stunning comeback to knock title-holder Stephen Maguire out of the British Championship in York. The 48-year-old took five of the last six frames, including the penultimate with a 145 break - his highest since his ground-breaking maximum in 1982 - to win 9-8 and book a quarter-final meeting with Ken Doherty.

It was like turning the clock back to the 1980s, when Davis was in his heyday, as he compiled three centuries during a high-quality match in which the defending champion did little wrong either.

Maguire, who led 5-3 overnight, matched Davis' trio of tons and at 7-4 looked poised to wrap the game up.

But the six-time former world champion worked his way back into contention with some typically inspired safety play.

At 8-7 down, Davis knocked in his 145, and in the final frame, after Maguire had missed a presentable opening red, he again got over the line with just a single visit to the table, a run of 78 proving enough to dethrone the Scot.

"That was the best match I've been involved in for ages, if not ever in some respects," said the world number 15.

"Some people would say it was my best performance since the 1980s, and it may have been my best ever.

"I knew I would play well, I just didn't know if I could compete to Stephen's standard. I just went out and played, put my brain in neutral and mugged him on the line."

"I didn't expect Steve to play that well - you wouldn't expect God to play that well," said a clearly stunned Maguire. "I'd like to see him win it now, he's playing well enough."

Earlier, Stephen Hendry showed no mercy to his close friend Mark Williams by knocking him out with a 9-3 drubbing.

It meant more snooker misery for the Welshman, who was the game's dominant player three years ago. But his subsequent fall from grace means he is struggling to retain his place among the elite top 16 for next season.

The scoreline was somewhat flattering to Hendry, however, for he admitted he had enjoyed much more "run" than his opponent, and it appeared that if anything could go wrong for Williams then it would.

The Scot led 6-2 overnight and needed only one significant break, a 90, to wrap up a quarter-final meeting with world number 19 Ali Carter.

"You don't expect to win 9-3 against someone as good as Mark Williams," said the five-time winner of this title, the last occasion being in 1996.