Snooker/ UK Championship: Jimmy White "produced when it mattered" to defeat Dublin's Fergal O'Brien for a place in the UK Championship quarter-finals at York last night.

O'Brien sent shockwaves round York's Barbican Centre last Saturday by becoming the first player in five years to beat Mark Williams in the latter's opening match of a ranking tournament.

But the dogged Irishman found 41-year-old "People's Champion" White a tougher proposition than the defending champion.

After O'Brien recovered from 7-5 down to level at 7-7, White made breaks of 113 and 65 to seal the match.

White now plays former British Open champion Nigel Bond for a place in the last four.

It has been 11 years since White progressed this far in snooker's second most important ranking tournament - and on that occasion he went on to win the title.

That 1992 triumph over John Parrott at Preston's Guild Hall was the last occasion the world number 10 managed to win a ranking title.

There have been a few near misses in the intervening decade, but White insists he never felt like quitting and has no intention of doing so in the near future.

"My A game is very good," he said, after booking his first ranking quarter-final appearance in 17 months.

"It's hard to walk away from the game. Just look at Stephen Hendry.

"He told us he was not going to play after 28 - but he still keeps on going.

"I love this game; I love competing and I love playing exhibitions.

"When the love goes and I don't feel I can win any more I won't play. But I still feel I can."

White certainly has a great oportunity to progress even further. After the exits of world number one Williams, John Higgins, Peter Ebdon, Ken Doherty and Stephen Lee, the odds on him winning the title are getting shorter. But he said: "I'm staying in the present. In the past I've made the mistake of thinking too far ahead."

O'Brien was generous in defeat. "Jimmy played two good frames at the end. But I've enjoyed the tournament.

"I just needed a bit of rub of the green at the end and didn't get it. But that's the way it goes at times."

Matthew Stevens, a UK runner-up to Higgins and Williams, has a remarkable record of consistency in the championship.

The dad-to-be from Carmarthen won the last three frames to defeat Thailand's James Wattana 9-6 after the match reached 6-6.

He now plays good friend Paul Hunter in what will be his fifth UK quarter-final in seven seasons.

"I never felt in control of the match, so I'm delighted to get through. Although the draw is wide open, I think I've got the hardest possible match."