SNOOKER/UK Championship: John Higgins, installed as favourite for the UK Championship after Ronnie O'Sullivan's exit, was knocked out by a rejuvenated Ken Doherty in York last evening.

The Scot, winner of the season's only previous ranking tournament, had been in superb form but came up against an opponent who played his best snooker for two and a half years in the 9-6 third-round victory.

Doherty began the match with a 107 break, which set the tone; he added two further centuries and took three consecutive frames from 6-6 with some flawless potting that never gave Higgins a chance to fight back.

"That's the best I've played since losing the World Championship final in 2003," said the Dubliner, who has struggled since that 18-16 defeat to Mark Williams.

"I've had a very frustrating time because I don't feel any different from then apart from my confidence levels. For some reason that final knocked the stuffing out of me and it has taken a long time to get back.

"It's nice to get a resounding win on television against a player at the top of his form. I was fed up of having to talk to the press about defeats I've had but now I'm as chirpy as a parrot."

Higgins admitted there was little he could have done to stop the man who, in 1997, preceded him as world champion and was his victim in the final at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre the following year.

"Ken played fantastic snooker," said the world number six. "I can't recall him missing a ball when he had a chance of making a break, and when someone does that it makes it very difficult for you.

"I didn't do a hell of a lot wrong and ultimately you have to realise it's just a game, especially when you see guys battling with cancer." That reference was, of course, to Paul Hunter, whose dream of success in front of his home crowd was quickly ended - but the 27-year-old insisted he had plenty to look forward to.

The world number five resumed his match against Chinese sensation Ding Junhui trailing 7-1 and, after providing a glimpse of his true form with a break of 58 to win frame 10, he bowed out with a 9-2 defeat.

Although he showed the chemotherapy treatment he is undergoing has not completely ravaged his game by winning his opening match of the tournament, Hunter was handicapped by the lack of feeling in his body and could offer little resistance to his emerging 18-year-old opponent.

But he also has plenty on his mind too - less than ideal for such a mental game as snooker - and it is certainly not all negative, the Leeds player's thoughts immediately turned to becoming a father for the first time just after Christmas.

"I'm disappointed to have been beaten and disappointed that I've got cancer, but happy that I won a match here and happy that I've got a baby coming," said Hunter, whose wife, Lindsey, is due to give birth on December 27th.

Ding, who won the China Open as an amateur last season, has lost only eight frames in his three matches at the Barbican Centre and is a live contender for the title. His next opponent will be either world champion Shaun Murphy or rising Australian star Neil Robertson.

Stephen Hendry had mocked the attitude to practice of his close friend Mark Williams before they embarked on their last-16 clash and the Scot proved his point as he opened a 6-2 lead.

The seven-times world champion hit form with a vengeance, knocking in breaks of 136 and 94 and five more of 40-plus as Williams failed to score in four of the eight frames.