Snooker: Davis is beaten by O'Brien

FERGAL O'BRIEN, a 21-year-old from Dublin, caused the upset of the season when he beat the holder, Steve Davis, in the fourth round of the Asian Open in Bangkok yesterday. A four and a half hour marathon came to a thrilling end when O'Brien cleared the last four colours in the deciding frame to win 5-4 on the final black.

'This is obviously the biggest win of my career because I have never been this far in a ranking event before. I felt confident all the way through, though my concentration went after I had led 4-2,' O'Brien said after reaching the quarter-finals.

Davis said: 'I hadn't even seen Fergal play before I came here. But he is a gritty competitor who will cause a few problems for the top players.'

Results, Sport in Short, page 39