PAUL Hunter was battling today to buck the trend in the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship after shock defeats left only two of the world's top eight players in the event.

Two more former world and UK champions bit the dust at York's Barbican Centre yesterday to lesser known names in the game.

Seven times world and five times UK champion Stephen Hendry fell at his first hurdle, losing 9-7 to world number 43 Barry Hawkins.

And former world and UK title-holder Mark Williams, the world number one at this time last year, played some of the worst snooker of his career in slumping 9-3 to world number 23 Mark King.

Hendry and Williams added to an astonishing casualty list of star names, following hot on the heels of world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and UK defending champion Matthew Stevens on Saturday night and earlier exits by John Higgins and Ken Doherty.

O'Sullivan lost for the second tournament in succession to impressive 23-year-old Glaswegian Stephen Maguire, while a dismal performance saw Stevens crash out 9-4 to world number 21 Barry Pinches.

Apart from world number four Hunter, the only other top eight player in the last 16 is former world champion Peter Ebdon, the world number eight, who is in the other half of the draw to the Yorkshireman.

Hunter's third round match against Allister Carter was being played to a finish this afternoon, the Leeds star resuming at 4-4 after having led 3-1.

If he wins his quarter-final opponent will be Pinches or Joe Perry. Ebon is level 4-4 with world number nine Stephen Lee in their match which finishes tonight.

Former world and UK champion John Parrott, the world 31, had a great chance to make the last eight this afternoon, leading Ricky Walden 5-3.

Hendry led 5-3 going into yesterday's session but Hawkins, from Kent, won the first four frames of the afternoon, including a century in the 12th. Hendry levelled at 5-5 but Hawkins regained the lead with an 84 break and clinched victory in the 16th frame.

"I'm missing balls that I don't expect to and it's costing me matches," said a downcast Hendry.

"The standard of players in the lower rankings has improved a lot, while the standard of the top players hasn't."

Williams said: "Motivation is definitely a problem. I'm finding it difficult to get to the club to practice."

Second round results

Saturday: Barry Pinches bt Matthew Stevens 9-4, Stephen Maguire bt Ronnie O'Sullivan 9-6.

Yesterday: Barry Hawkins bt Stephen Hendry 9-7, Mark King bt Mark Williams 9-3.

Overnight positions of matches finishing today

Third round: Allister Carter 4, Paul Hunter 4; Andy Hicks 2, Graeme Dott 6; John Parrott 5, Ricky Walden 3; Peter Ebdon 4, Stephen Lee 4.

Tonight's matches

Third round (7pm): Barry Pinches v Joe Perry, Peter Ebdon v Stephen Lee (final session).

Tuesday's matches

Third round: 12.30pm and 7pm Mark King v Alan McManus, Steve Davis v Stephen Maguire. Afternoon (after end of first session of 12.30pm matches) Barry Pinches v Joe Perry (final session), David Gray v Barry Hawkins (final session of match started this afternoon).

Updated: 09:58 Monday, November 22, 2004