Davis reaches last 16 in Germany

The St Leonards cueman, who last month won the Sangsom 6-Red World Championship in Thailand and General Cup in Hong Kong, won three matches at the Ruhr Open in Germany.

Davis began with a routine 4-0 victory over home hope Patrick Einsle yesterday (Saturday) lunchtime. The world number 14 won the first two frames with breaks of 59 and 78, and was 44 points ahead in the third before 114th-ranked Einsle scored his first point. Davis sealed victory with a run of 59 in the fourth frame.

He then saw off 35th-ranked Michael White 4-1. Davis won the first two frames with a top break of 61 in the second and although Welsh cueman White replied with a 104 in the third, Davis hit runs of 52 in both of the next two frames to seal the win.

The hot scoring continued as Davis beat Sam Baird 4-2 in a high class last 32 encounter. Davis won the first two frames with breaks of 61, 46 and a brilliant 129 before 79th-ranked Baird pulled one back with a 136. Davis went 3-1 up with a 72, Baird hit an 88 to make it 3-2 and Davis won it via a 78.

Davis was eventually edged out 4-3 by 12th-ranked Mark Allen in a remarkable last 16 tie this morning. Northern Irishman Allen raced into a 3-0 lead with two breaks of 74 and one of 99, and looked set for a crushing win as he opened the next with a 40.

Those were the last points Allen scored for three frames, however, as Davis came surging back to level at 3-3 with runs of 60, 94 and 105. Reigning World Open champion Allen began the decider with a 57 and that proved enough to avenge a defeat to Davis by the same scoreline in European Tour event four.

Bexhill-based Jimmy Robertson, meanwhile, received a walkover against Fraser Patrick before losing 4-1 against 18th-ranked Welshman, Mark Williams. Robertson, ranked 48, won the opening frame, but former world champion Williams claimed all of the next four with runs of 81, 44, 49 and 52.