ALAN McMANUS'S determination to chase a lost cause paid dividends as he registered a superb 9-8 comeback victory over John Parrott at the UK Championship in Preston last night.
McManus became the second player to reach the last four though it seemed Parrott would be lining up in the opposite half of the draw to Dubliner Ken Doherty. But from 8-6 down the 25 year old Scot staged a brilliant rearguard action.
McManus allowed world number four Parrott - attempting to reach the semi finals for a sixth time - only 14 points in the last three frames, raising his game to compile frame winning runs of 65, 66 and 74.
"I never saw a ball," said Parrott. "Alan is a tough old competitor and you just cannot get rid of him. He won't go away.
"I'm just glad we're both not boxers," added Parrott who had also led 7-5 after beginning the second session in the afternoon tied at 4-4.
McManus, the world number six from Glasgow, said: "I looked dead and buried at 8-6. The situation was pretty grim. Nine times out of 10 our matches seem to go to a last frame because we're both similar players."
Paul Hunter's fairytale run bad a nightmare ending last night. Fresh faced Hunter was poised to pull off the shock of the season after leading six times world champion Stephen Hendry 5-3 overnight. But normal service was resumed as Hendry took six frames on the spin to beat the Leeds youngster 9-5 and book a semi final clash with McManus.
"Stephen's the best in the world and I can't be too disappointed," said 18 year old Hunter, who was, responsible for the defeats of Willie Thorne and James Wattana in earlier rounds.
For Hendry it was his 16th straight victory at the championship as he attempts to win the trophy for a third year in a row.
Hendry was level at 5-5 within 26 minutes of the restart, making breaks of 43 and 67. Second season professional Hunter might have regained the lead at 6-5 but conceded a 43-0 lead and that was his last roll of the dice.
Hendry took the frame 81-43 and allowed his fair haired rival only 46 more points as he knocked in runs of 55, 61 and 41.
John Higgins, meanwhile, made it three wins out of three for the Scots, recovering from 4-1 down to defeat 21 year old Grand Prix champion Mark Williams. He now meets Ken Doherty for a place in Sunday's final.
Breaks of 92 and 44 enabled Higgins to continue his recovery when the match resumed last evening, though he suffered several anxious moments as world No 16 Williams equalised at 6-6.
"I had a chance to go 7-5 up but I went for a brain dead blue," admitted Higgins. "Thankfully I pulled myself together and was just pleased to come through in the end.
"I know it's going to be a tough match against Ken Doherty, but had you told me I'd be in the semi finals when I trailed Tony, Drago 6-0 a couple of days ago I would happily have settled for that."
. Joe Canny's hopes of reaching the last eight of the World Amateur Championship in New Zealand came to an end yesterday when he was beaten by Stuart Bingham in the quarter finals.
The Celbridge player looked set to level the match at 4-4 with just the colours to pot but was left to rue a crucial missed yellow that allowed the English national champion back to clear the table and secure a 5-3 victory.
Meanwhile defending champion Sakchai Sim Ngam of Thailand, who was the only player to beat Canny in the group stages, was knocked out of the tournament by Australia's Stan Gorski.
