JIMMY White is hoping to be at his best as he bids tonight to earn a place in the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship semi-finals in York.

Stephen Hendry, meanwhile, booked his place in the last eight thanks to cashing in after his third round opponent fluffed a golden chance to deliver a knockout blow.

And Welshman Matthew Stevens conquered Thailand's James Wattana 9-6 and was playing Yorkshire's Paul Hunter tonight for a semi-final berth.

White beat Irishman Fergal O'Brien 9-7 last night after starting the final session level at 4-4. He won the evening's first two frames but the Dubliner kept battling and drew level at 7-7 with a 92 break.

The 'Whirlwind' then fired a 113 break and took control of the 16th frame with a 65 to clinch his place in the last eight. It is his first quarter-final for 19 months and the 11th time he has reached the UK quarters albeit his first since he won the title in 1992.

He was up against Derbyshire's Nigel Bond tonight, Bond having won seven of their 11 previous encounters since 1989.

"I haven't lost faith in my 'A' game," White said after his victory over O'Brien, who knocked out UK defending champion and world No 1 Mark Williams in the second round.

"I will obviously give Nigel every respect but I am hopeful I can give him my 'A' game. I love this game. I love competing."

He paid credit to O'Brien, saying he could count on one hand the number of mistakes the Irishman made.

Allister Carter, on the other hand, was left to rue the cost of making one crucial mistake against Hendry.

The world number 17 from Essex had come from 4-0 down to level at 4-4 at the start of last night's play. His fightback began in the fifth frame with a career best 143 clearance, the highest break in York this week and equalling Stuart Bingham's 143 in the first round on the second day of the championship.

Carter, who before yesterday had beaten Hendry in three of their four previous matches, won the evening's first two frames and another upset looked on the cards, especially when an 84 break for an 8-6 lead put the Tiptree man one frame from going through.

Hendry was fighting for survival and led 57-43 in the next, but Carter was presented with a winning opportunity with an easy shot on yellow. Had he made the pot the rest of the colours were at his mercy. But he missed and Hendry took the lifeline with both hands to win that and the next two frames for victory.

"I could not believe how he missed that yellow," Hendry said later. "That will haunt him for some time. He is a fantastic player. At 4-0 ahead I was cruising and then suddenly without me having done anything wrong he's level.

"It's always nice to come from behind. It boosts the confidence."

Hendry's quarter-final opponent tomorrow is outsider Barry Pinches, from Norwich, who knocked out world No 5 Stephen Lee.

"I have to give him every respect," Hendry said. "It is sometimes this type of match when I trip up. It's between the ears where the next match will be decided."

Stevens and Hunter, whose quarter-final finishes tonight for a place in Saturday's semi-final, are close friends. Indeed, the world No 9 from Carmarthen spent two nights staying at Hunter's house in Leeds as his guest this week.

"When we're playing against each other in a tournament we're enemies, but afterwards we're the best of friends," Stevens said after overcoming a determined challenge last night by Wattana, who had sent former world champion John Higgins packing in the previous round.

Stevens came from two down to lead 5-3 at the end of the first session. He was pegged back to 6-6 but gained control of the next three frames to book a quarter-final with his pal. In head-to-head matches, Stevens has beaten the Yorkshireman only once in five encounters. Hunter beat Stevens 13-6 in the second round of the Embassy World Championship earlier this year.

"Last year I was playing well but losing," the Welshman said. "This season I haven't been playing as well but have got to two quarter-finals and a semi-final."

Updated: 09:53 Wednesday, November 26, 2003