STEVE DAVIS BEATEN IN FIRST ROUND OF UK CHAMPIONSHIP

Snooker

Steve Davis made a first-round exit from the UK Championship at Preston last night. After his 9-6 defeat by 21-year-old Stephen Lee, Davis refused to be drawn on tabloid articles about his private life. "I'm only going to talk about the events to do with the championship," the six-times world champion said.

ROYAL LIVER ASSURANCE UK CHAMPIONSHIP (Preston) First round (Eng unless stated): C Small (Sco) bt D Roe 9-7; J Higgins (Sco) bt M King 9-3; T Griffiths (Wal) bt D Leary (N Irl) 9-3; G Wilkinson bt J Prince (N Irl) 9-4; S Reardon bt B Morgan 9-6; R O'Sullivan bt S Meakin 9-3; J Parrott bt J Woodman 9-2; J White bt M Wilson 9-5; A Robidoux (Can) bt K Payne 9-4; W Thorne bt T Meo 9-6, P Davies (Wal) bt M Price 9-6; J Ferguson bt K Broughton 9-6; K Doherty (Irl) bt D Henry (Sco) 9-8; M Flowerdew bt M Clark 9-4; J Wattana (Thai) bt D Walker 9-4; N Foulds bt D Mountjoy (Wal) 9-5; S Lee bt S Davis 9-6. Unfinished matches: W Jones (Wal) leads D Reynolds 5-3; N Bond leads S Gill 5-3; P Hunter leads A McManus (Sco) 5-3; T Knowles leads J Birch 6-2 (Matches resume 7.0 tonight).