Davis on brink of UK exit

Golden oldies Steve Davis and Jimmy White suffered mixed fortunes on day three of the Travis Perkins UK Championship in York today.

While White is on course to reach the last 16, six times UK winner Davis is in big trouble.

The 46-year-old star trails Ali Carter 6-2 and his chances of recording his first victory of the season got more remote with every frame.

Davis managed just 13 points in the first four frames and four of those came from a Carter foul shot in the opening frame.

World number 17 Carter knocked in breaks of 99, 63 and 74 to lead 4-0.

And after Davis showed flashes of his former self with runs of 79 and 116, Carter hit back with runs of 97 and 60.

It was always going to prove a tough match for the Nugget. The top players hold no terrors for Carter whose previous victims include current and former world champions, Mark Williams, Stephen Hendry (twice), Ken Doherty and John Parrott.

Indeed, during a practice session against Ronnie O’Sullivan, the Colchester cueman thrashed the Rocket 18-2!

If he is to clinch a third round meeting against Parrott or newly crowned British Open champion Hendry, then Davis requires seven of this afternoon’s nine final frames.

White, UK champion in 1992-his last ranking title success-is better placed against Glaswegian Drew Henry.

The Whirlwind leads 5-3, sparked by a vintage 132 clearance in frame six.

White, playing for a place against Williams or Fergal O’Brien in round three, won the final three frames after trailing 3-2.

Four more successes will take him through to the last 16.

The performance of the morning came from former Grand Prix champion Dominic Dale.

The Welshman captured seven of the first nine frames against shell-shocked Alan McManus-a former UK semi-finalist.

Dale started the match with a 135 break and added further contributions of 90 and 112. In three of the frames McManus failed to score a point.

In fact, it has been a bad tournament for the Scots after the defeats yesterday of Chris Small, Stephen Maguire and Graeme Dott.

And with Henry and McManus trailing, it could be left to Hendry and Higgins to fly the flag and they’ve yet to play their opening matches.

Matthew Stevens, a UK runner-up in 1998 (to Higgins) and 1999 (to Williams), resumes later with a 5-3 advantage over British Open quarter-finalist, Gerard Greene.