Maguire has the edge

Stephen Maguire claimed a two-frame lead over Mark King in their semi-final showdown at the Travis Perkins UK Championship in York today.

Maguire, the world number 24, ended the opening session leading 5-3 after winning the last three frames.

The Glaswegian, who won the European Open last season, was made favourite for the title following his stunning second round defeat of Ronnie O’Sullivan last weekend and his odds shortened as the whole of the top eight tumbled out before the quarter-finals in a week of shock results.

King, a finalist in the 1997 Welsh Open and last season’s Irish Masters, delivered one of the upsets by knocking out world number two Mark Williams and continued his run to the semi-finals with further victories over Alan McManus and 1991 champion John Parrott.

The 30-year-old from Romford is bidding for a return to the top 16 after two seasons outside the elite band.

King started the current campaign 23rd in the rankings but is set to rise by at least 10 places.

He produced his best snooker of the tournament to edge into a 3-2 lead after compiling breaks of 128, 69 and 90, while Maguire contributed efforts of 75 and 87.

The Scot then won the sixth frame helped by an initial 63, although he only clinched it on the colours after King had got a snooker.

Crucially, Maguire also won the seventh on the pink after King had missed the blue with a good chance to regain the advantage.

Maguire, who rises to third in the world if he wins the title, then pieced together a run of 104 to secure the last frame of the session and move to within four of a place in the final.

David Gray, who beat Joe Perry 9-8 in a thrilling climax on Friday, is waiting with £70,000 on offer for the eventual winner.