JOHN Higgins' season ended with a whimper as he was dumped out of this year's Betfair.com World Championship at the first hurdle last night.

Higgins, the four-time world champion, lost 10-6 to journeyman Mark Davis in Sheffield and missed out on a potential quarter-final showdown with defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan at the £1.1m tournament.

"I've had some big losses this year," said Higgins. "I've certainly endured that this year. I've thrown away a few big matches. It sticks in your mind, so, when you get down to the same position again, you start thinking bad thoughts instead of the good thoughts. It's been another disappointing year, but I've just got to get on with it.

"I was trying my hardest out there until the bitter end. If you lose the fire in your belly, you might as well pack it all in. But sometimes you have to put your hands up and admit that you're not good enough to win."

Higgins resumed 6-3 down after a disappointing opening session of the pair's best-of-19 frame showdown. He reduced the deficit with a break of 92, but while clearing up in the next frame, the world No.7 inexplicably missed a black off it's spot on a break of 57. Davis took his chance with a 34 clearance, winning the frame on the final black to restore his three-frame advantage.

Higgins rallied again with a 69 break, but Davis, who upset him in the UK Championship earlier in the season, moved 9-5 ahead with breaks of 81 and 47.

Higgins, needing to win the final five frames to record an unlikely victory, took a scrappy 15th frame with a 50 break, but he was to get no further as Davis secured victory by winning the next frame win a run of 87.

A delighted Davis said: "That's the biggest win of my career. I've beaten John at the UK, which was massive, but to beat him [here] is definitely the best."

Higgins' fellow Scot, Graeme Dott, found the going tough in what was meant to be the concluding session of his first-round match with Peter Ebdon. The Larkhall man resumed 6-2 ahead in a repeat of their 2006 world final, but the match had to be stopped before its conclusion because of fears it would halt the start of the afternoon matches.

Ebdon won four frames in a row – it took him more than two hours to do so – to level at 6-6. Dott, the 2002 Crucible champion, managed a top break of just 45 during an average frame time of nearly half an hour because of Ebdon's slow play and lengthy toilet breaks. Dott, clearly frustrated, rallied to win the next two frames for an 8-6 lead, and the match was scheduled to be completed last night after both evening matches had been played to a finish.

It meant Dott was looking at a late finish, much like their 2006 final which dragged on until the early hours of the following morning.

Mark Allen, the former Crucible semi-finalist from Northern Ireland, fought back from 2-0 down to lead England's Mark King 3-2, but finished 5-4 down after the opening session of their first-round match. Allen pocketed breaks of 38, 40, 83, 66, 44, 39 and 45, but King established a slim lead with runs of 39, 67, 74 and 50.

Stephen Maguire, a former semi-finalist, will have to come from behind today to keep his title hopes alive. The Glaswegian trails Thailand's Dechawat Poomjaeng, one of six Crucible debutants, 5-3 after the opening session of their first-round match.

Maguire had a top break of 69, but Poomjaeng dominated with runs of 72, 52, 60, 50 and 56.

JOHN Higgins' season ended with a whimper as he was dumped out of this year's Betfair.com World Championship at the first hurdle last night.

Higgins, the four-time world champion, lost 10-6 to journeyman Mark Davis in Sheffield and missed out on a potential quarter-final showdown with defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan at the £1.1m tournament.

"I've had some big losses this year," said Higgins. "I've certainly endured that this year. I've thrown away a few big matches. It sticks in your mind, so, when you get down to the same position again, you start thinking bad thoughts instead of the good thoughts. It's been another disappointing year, but I've just got to get on with it.

"I was trying my hardest out there until the bitter end. If you lose the fire in your belly, you might as well pack it all in. But sometimes you have to put your hands up and admit that you're not good enough to win."

Higgins resumed 6-3 down after a disappointing opening session of the pair's best-of-19 frame showdown. He reduced the deficit with a break of 92, but while clearing up in the next frame, the world No.7 inexplicably missed a black off it's spot on a break of 57. Davis took his chance with a 34 clearance, winning the frame on the final black to restore his three-frame advantage.

Higgins rallied again with a 69 break, but Davis, who upset him in the UK Championship earlier in the season, moved 9-5 ahead with breaks of 81 and 47.

Higgins, needing to win the final five frames to record an unlikely victory, took a scrappy 15th frame with a 50 break, but he was to get no further as Davis secured victory by winning the next frame win a run of 87.

A delighted Davis said: "That's the biggest win of my career. I've beaten John at the UK, which was massive, but to beat him [here] is definitely the best."

Higgins' fellow Scot, Graeme Dott, found the going tough in what was meant to be the concluding session of his first-round match with Peter Ebdon. The Larkhall man resumed 6-2 ahead in a repeat of their 2006 world final, but the match had to be stopped before its conclusion because of fears it would halt the start of the afternoon matches.

Ebdon won four frames in a row – it took him more than two hours to do so – to level at 6-6. Dott, the 2002 Crucible champion, managed a top break of just 45 during an average frame time of nearly half an hour because of Ebdon's slow play and lengthy toilet breaks. Dott, clearly frustrated, rallied to win the next two frames for an 8-6 lead, and the match was scheduled to be completed last night after both evening matches had been played to a finish.

It meant Dott was looking at a late finish, much like their 2006 final which dragged on until the early hours of the following morning.

Mark Allen, the former Crucible semi-finalist from Northern Ireland, fought back from 2-0 down to lead England's Mark King 3-2, but finished 5-4 down after the opening session of their first-round match. Allen pocketed breaks of 38, 40, 83, 66, 44, 39 and 45, but King established a slim lead with runs of 39, 67, 74 and 50.

Stephen Maguire, a former semi-finalist, will have to come from behind today to keep his title hopes alive. The Glaswegian trails Thailand's Dechawat Poomjaeng, one of six Crucible debutants, 5-3 after the opening session of their first-round match.

Maguire had a top break of 69, but Poomjaeng dominated with runs of 72, 52, 60, 50 and 56.