MATTHEW Stevens has gone top in snooker's LG Electronics Tour Order of Merit following his victory in the Travis Perkins UK Championship in York on Sunday.

The hundred points he got for his dramatic victory over Stephen Hendry in the Barbican Centre final take him to 210 points in the season-long competition of seven tournaments.

Hendry and the player he beat in the UK semi-finals, Ronnie O'Sullivan, are both on 170. Mark Williams, who had led the table before the UK Championship, has dropped to fourth place with 150 points following his shock first match exit in York.

UK beaten quarter-finalist Paul Hunter has 140 points, UK first match shock loser John Higgins has 120, then come Gerard Greene 110, Joe Perry 110, Michael Holt 100, Stephen Lee 100 and Jimmy White, beaten by Stevens in the UK semi-finals, also with 100.

Stevens, whose UK triumph was the first ranking tournament victory of his nine-year career, had earlier this season reached the LG Cup quarter-finals and the British Open semi-finals.

Players score points according to how many matches they win in each of the seven Order of Merit events. They get 100 points for winning a tournament, 70 as runner-up, 60 as beaten semi-finalists, 50 as losing quarter-finalists.

The winner of the Order of Merit will receive a trophy and a £50,000 prize. The final event is the Players Championship in Glasgow in April.

Double points will be on offer so a dash for the line is in prospect as the race to become the first tour champion reaches a climax.

Updated: 11:01 Tuesday, December 02, 2003