THREE time UK Championship finalist Ken Doherty rolled back the years as he booked a second round berth with a 6-0 hammering of Tony Drago.

A finalist at York in 2001 and 2002, Doherty produced breaks of 84, 61 and 132 before finishing with an emphatic 119 as he saw off the Maltese player in double quick time.

Doherty said: "It's probably the best I have played all season. But, by the way I have been playing, that wouldn't have been hard. It was nice to play pretty well and score pretty heavily and make a couple of centuries.

"I should have probably made three or four but I am delighted to win and play with a bit of confidence - the way I used to play. There's life in the old dog yet but it is finding that consistent form. That is the problem."

He added: "Tony is a good mate of mine and it is not very nice to treat one of your friends (like that). When you get on the table there are no friends and you have just got to try and get down to business.

"I've had a few good runs at the UK. I like it in York. It's a great venue, a great city and, even though we were playing out in the back, the crowd was quite good. It was a good atmosphere. It was nice to play, nice to win and nice to be in the hat for the weekend."

Mark Davis has only just flown back in from Hong Kong but suffered no jetlag as he saw off Rhys Clark 6-1.

After the pair shared the opening two frames, 19th seed Davis stepped on the afterburners - breaks of 54 and 68 comfortably seeing him through to a second round clash against Doherty.

The 43-year-old, a semi-finalist at York two years ago, said: "I was just pleased to get the win. I went to Hong Kong (for the General Cup) and I maybe should have thought about not going. I didn't get back until Sunday.

"I knew it wasn't going to be pretty and it was just about winning. I don't know Rhys that well but I am always going to go in as favourite. That doesn't mean anything. On any given day they can all play.

"You have to get the job done. Ken will be a tough game. I played him in the World Championship last season and it should be a good game."

Martin Gould was delighted after his 6-2 victory over Allan Taylor.

The duo were locked together at 2-2 at the mid-session interval but the Pinner potter upped his game considerably on the resumption - efforts of 108, 56 and 67 helping him over the line.

Gould, the 24th seed who reached the Australian Goldfields Open final earlier this season, said: "The first four frames were a bit scrappy but I know that once I get into some kind of rhythm that I am capable of throwing off frames very quickly.

"After the interval, once I got in that was it."