Davis rolls back the years

Steve Davis became the oldest finalist in a ranking tournament for 19 years tonight when he clung on for a nervy 9-6 victory over Stephen Hendry at the Travis Perkins UK Championship in York.

The 48-year-old looked home and dry when he led 8-2 but had to resist a brave fightback from his one-time arch-rival in their emotionally-charged semi-final before securing a meeting with either Chinese youngster Ding Junhui or world number 14 Joe Perry in Sunday’s showdown.

Hendry, who succeeded Davis as king of the green baize at the turn of the 1990s, was woefully out of sorts in the opening session and could win only one of the first eight frames.

But he found his form with a vengeance tonight when his back was against the wall and appeared set to make it 8-7 when he held a 59-point lead in frame 15, only to miss the black off its spot and let in Davis for a match-winning clearance of 66.