Steve Davis went out at the first hurdle for the third tournament in a row, beaten 9-6 yesterday by world number 17 Allister Carter, from Essex, in the UK Championship at York's Barbican.

Davis never recovered from being 6-2 down at the end of the first session.

"He played perfect snooker in the morn-ing," admitted the six-times world champion. "I was a spectator apart from two frames. I made a sort of mini-charge near the end of the match but it was always an uphill struggle.

"In the 13th frame I missed a silly red into a corner pocket I could have gone on to be only 7-6 down and then who knows?"

Carter's next match is against Stephen Hendry or John Parrott next Tuesday.

Updated: 11:09 Friday, November 21, 2003