PAUL Hunter is looking forward to a happy Christmas and an inspiring New Year despite having to battle against cancer and with his snooker career failing.

Knocked out of the Travis Perkins UK Championship, he is now turning all his thoughts to December 27 when his wife Lindsey is due to give birth to their first child.

"I'm looking forward to the 27th and hopefully my son or daughter can inspire me to play well in the new year," he said following his 9-2 defeat by Chinese 18-year-old Ding Junhui at York Barbican Centre yesterday, when the 27-year-old from Leeds took a frame after resuming the match at 7-1 down.

"It's tough at the moment but I'll keep going to tournaments and I'll keep trying. I am obviously disappointed that I got beaten but happy that I won a match (beating Jamie Burnett 9-8 last Wednesday).

"At 7-1 down you are just waiting to be beaten, but I still kept fighting. It's frustrating when you know what you can do and you can't keep still on a shot.

"I am happy that my baby's coming, but disappointed I've still got cancer. You have got to have a clear mind to play this game and my mind's just not there at the moment. It's just not clear at all."

He said it has been so tough for him to play on Sunday that he felt as if he had someone else's arms.

"They say try to live life as normal as possible, which is pretty difficult when you're on chemo. I just get tired very easily," he said of his illness. "I am not expecting anything from snooker this season. Even when my chemo finishes at the end of February, the doctors say it takes six months to a year to get back to normal."

Junhui's opponent in the quarter-finals could be world champion Shaun Murphy, who was playing Aussie Neil Robertson today.

Dubliner Ken Doherty produced his best snooker for two and a half years to oust Grand Prix winner John Higgins 9-6 yesterday. Doherty made three centuries (107, 102, 127) on his way to a quarter-final against defending champion Stephen Maguire or Steve Davis.

Higgins, who had been the in-form player this season, said missing a black last night when the frames were 6-6 was his costly error.

Stephen Hendry resumed his third round clash against Mark Williams this afternoon with a 6-2 lead from yester-day which included a break of 136 and four frames when the Welshman failed to score.

Steve Davis responded to Maguire's first frame 133 break in their last 16 clash with two centuries of his own (102 and 133) and thanks to winning the last frame of their opening session was still in the match at 5-3 down going into today's finish.

Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship (at York Barbican Centre)

Monday's results

Third round: Ken Doherty bt John Higgins 9-6; Allister Carter bt Peter Ebdon 9-7; Stuart Bingham bt Mark Davis 9-2; Ding Junhui bt Paul Hunter 9-2. Overnight positions (matches finish this afternoon): Stephen Maguire 5, Steve Davis 3; Mark Williams 2, Stephen Hendry 6.

Today's matches

Third round (best of 17 frames) 1.30pm and 7.30pm: Mark King v Joe Perry, Neil Robertson v Shaun Murphy. Late afternoon (after first two matches have played eight frames): Stephen Maguire (5) v Steve Davis (3), Mark Williams (2) v Stephen Hendry (6) (both these matches playing to a finish).

Wednesday's matches

Quarter-finals (best of 17 frames) 2pm and 7pm: Stephen Maguire or Steve Davis v Ken Doherty, Allister Carter v Mark Williams or Stephen Hendry.

Updated: 09:56 Tuesday, December 13, 2005