Davis bows out in epic battle

By Geet Sethi

SHEFFIELD, APRIL 25. Fighting with all the reserves of experience at his disposal, Steve Davis exited from the 2000 Embassy World snooker championship losing 11-13 to John Higgins, the world No. 1 after an epic second round battle lasting 8 hours 9 minutes.

Higgins, the 1998 world champion had been appointed a firm pre- match favourite. The 25-year-old's impressive form in the last two years including recent victories in the Grand Prix and the Regal Welsh earlier this season provide substantial justification of the odds offered by bookmakers.

On the other hand there has been a steady erosion in Davis' dominance over the years. On Tuesday, while his tactical superiority remains unchallenged, the essential ability to convert a scoring opportunity into a frame winning contribution has deserted him. At 42, he is the oldest competitor in the championship and the irreversible effects of advancing age have severely limited his long range potting.

Under the circumstances, due credit must be given to the former six-time world champion for prolonging the contest and thereby subjecting his opponent to moments of genuine fear and apprehension. Davis, appearing at the Crucible for the 22nd successive year, had trailed 6-2 at the end of the first session and 10-6 at the end of the second. While Davis' play was marked by the regularity of his unforced errors, Higgins' featured the clinical efficiency of his remarkable break building.

Davis could compile only three painstaking efforts over the half century mark in the two sessions while his opponent with nonchalant ease calmly compiled seven breaks over 50, which included a 141 clearance (his second 141 in this championship) and two other runs of 127 and 129. Both played a similar brand of snooker, relying heavily on percentages and safety. The difference lay in their respective break building skills. Davis' has since long deserted him. Higgins relishes the prospects of clearing every ball from the table.

Dramatic recovery

The contrast was glaring. The difference in standards clearly evident. And yet, Davis possesses the one quality which has the power to conquer his own limitations and more importantly, to induce genuine anxiety into any opponent. It is his fighting instincts and never say die attitude. He had been inflicted with a sequence of 387 unanswered points by the world No. 1 towards the concluding stages of the second session. Yet, he responded with a 52 in the last frame of the second session to reduce his arrears to 10-6 and then out manoeuvred Higgins in the safety department to win the opening three frames of the third session to trail by only one frame at 11-10.

It was a dramatic recovery. But Higgins once again pulled away with runs of 69 & 66 to lead 12-9 requiring only one frame with four to play. However, Davis was in an unrelenting mood. For the first time in the match he responded with positive aggression. With efforts of 71 & 73 he reduced his deficit to 12- 11. He got the first opening in the 24th frame but missed a black off the spot and then after potting red and black, failed to negotiate a red into the centre. Higgins easily won the frame and match and later admitted ``when he came back from 12-9 to 12-11 and looked very strong, I feared the worst''.

Davis mused about his road back to recovery from a position where he is in danger of losing the top 16 place to either Joe Swail or Dominic Dale. ``I think I played a lot of rubbish all of the season and lacked self belief. I think I got a bit of my self belief back.

''There are no short-cuts to getting self belief back. You have to play well in practise and pot a few ball in matches. I have been playing stuff that has taken away my confidence. It was nice to play stuff that gives confidence.

It's probably odds-on that I won't be in the top 16 next season. But that won't make a difference to my life. All it will mean is that I will have to play one more match to qualify for the world championship. So what?``

In another intensely fought encounter Anthony Hamilton, the world No. 10 upset Ken Doherty, the 1997 world champion 13-12 after 9 hours 27 minutes. Doherty, who compiled three centuries including back to back breaks of 106 & 104 led 12-11 but lost the initiative to the consistent Hamilton in the crucial deciding frame. Eight breaks over 50 aided Hamilton in his hard earned victory.

Mathew Stevens defeated Alan McManus 13-4 in an one sided contest. Stevens now meets Jimmy White in the last eight.

Quarterfinal line up: Jimmy White v Mathew Stevens; Joe Swail v Dominic Dale; Mark Williams v Fergal O'Brien; Anthony Hamilton v John Higgins.

lThe results (second round best of 25 frames): Mathew Stevens bt Alan McManus 13-4. 72 (54)-6, 96 (71)-0, 61-31, 24-80, 21-85, 75 (75)-0, 80 (51)-1, 86 (85)-16, 112 (112)-0, 86 (85)-25, 120 (104)-7, 77-7, 60-62 (55), 103 (56)-0, 1-96 (66), 71-17, 71-24.

John Higgins bt Steve Davis 13-11. 66 (64)-55, 22-62 (51), 17-68, 64-30, 78-6, 141 (141)-0, 67 (67)-1, 75-25, 39-73, 24-114 (78), 66 (66)-53, 2-64, 131 (127)-0, 127 (71)-0, 129 (129)-0, 15-97 (52), 12-72, 16-68, 37-63, 137 (54, 69)-0, 99 (66)-40, 0-123 (71), 0-81 (73), 81-13.

Anthony Hamilton bt Ken Doherty 13-12. 58 (50)-66 (58), 87-0, 22- 77 (66), 56 (54)-13, 7-114 (106), 0-104 (104), 4- 79 (60), 59 (59)-52, 66-0, 89 (89)-0, 70 (55)-24, 93-13, 16-78, 4-120 (118), 63-36, 72 (69)-36, 44-58, 81-56, 80 (79)-21, 8-57, 38-83, 7-66, 50-81, 53-44, 71 (66)-19.

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