RONNIE O'Sullivan knows he has a match on his hands in the Maplin UK Championship today after being held 4-4 at the halfway stage of his second round clash with Ricky Walden.

It was the same story for all the day's big seeds during day three of the two-week tournament as a busy crowd at York's Barbican Centre witnessed a clean sweep of tied matches.

The Rocket found himself 2-0 down after Walden, the world number 36, stormed ahead with breaks of 76 and 67.

O'Sullivan replied with 107 in the third frame and breaks of 50 and 59 in the fourth to level matters but was frequently frustrated by the 24-year-old, from Flintshire.

The Chigwell cueman, and pre-tournament favourite, was seen tapping the table and swiping his cue he struggled to get on top and was erratic with his usually brilliant long potting.

O'Sullivan has crashed out of this tournament at the opening hurdle in the past two years and fell behind 3-2 - Walden laying a superb snooker behind the yellow and then striking blows of 31 and 46 to take the frame.

The 2001 UK winner rallied with a 74 to draw level and took the lead for the first time in the match in the following frame, but breaks of 44 and 58 from Walden ensured the opening gambit ended all square.

Former two-time world champion and twice UK winner Mark Williams was 2-0 and 4-1 ahead against Gerard Greene, but the qualifier came back strongly with breaks of 96, 82 and 85 to win the last three frames of the session.

More alarmingly for Williams, the provisional world number five, was that he failed to score more than 48 in a single visit during the entire session.

Veteran Steve Davis, last year's beaten finalist, lead Jamie Burnett 3-1 before the player, who dismissed Andy Hicks in the first round, hit back after the interval.

The 49-year-old, who lost out to China's rising star Ding Junhui 12 months ago, looked in fine touch early on but was stymied by Burnett, who took three of the last four frames.

Stephen Maguire, the 2004 UK winner, also led Joe Swail early on before being reeled back in to 4-4.

In the afternoon sessions' other game, Stephen Lee and Rod Lawler were also locked at four apiece.

Ebdon cues a classic

PETER Ebdon won through to the third round after beating Mark Selby in a game which included 11 breaks over 70.

Ebdon won the match with a closing 124, his fourth century of the clash.

David Gray hit a 146 in the ninth frame of his match with Matthew Stevens but still lost 9-5.

Stevens will meet Ryan Day or current champ Ding Junhui next. He said: "I fancy Ryan. It's going to be tough for Ding to come back from the Asian Games the day before."

LATEST SCORES

First round: Michael Holt 0, Scott Mackenzie 9.

Second round: Matthew Stevens 9, David Gray 5; Ali Carter 8, Stuart Bingham 8; Peter Ebdon 9, Mark Selby 6; Barry Hawkins 4, Joe Perry 9; Stephen Lee 4, Rod Lawler 4; Mark Williams 4, Gerard Greene 4; Stephen Maguire 4, Joe Swail 4; Ronnie O'Sullivan 4, Ricky Walden 4; Steve Davis 4, Jamie Burnett 4.

TODAY'S ORDER OF PLAY

10am: John Higgins v Mark King; Shaun Murphy v Alan McManus; Neil Robertson v Robin Hull 2.30pm: Stephen Lee v Rod Lawler; Mark Williams v Gerrard Greene; Stephen Maguire v Joe Swail; Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ricky Walden; Steve Davis v Jamie Burnett 7.00pm: 10am games play to a finish.