Hendry wins thriller but Davis bows out

STEVE DAVIS could have played his last match at the Crucible after losing to Stuart Bingham in the first round of the 888.com World Championship in Sheffield.

Davis threatened to pull off a remarkable fightback when he recovered from 8-3 down to level the match at 8-8, only for qualifier Bingham to claim the next two frames and seal a nerve-racking 10-8 victory.

Six-time champion Davis has now won just one match in the last three years at the Crucible and, by dropping out of the top 16 in the world at the end of the season, is faced with the prospect of qualifying for tournaments.