JOHN Higgins and fellow Scot Billy Snaddon commiserated together last night after their interest in the #440,000 Liverpool Victoria UK Championship ended prematurely.

However, it was not all doom and gloom for the Scots as Hamilton's Jamie Burnett and Martin Dziewialtowski, from Govanhill, Glasgow, won through to the last 32.

The 9-4 defeat of Higgins though by Gary Ponting, the world No.84 from Bristol, sent shock waves round the Guild Hall.

The snooker world had been primed to expect an upset following Sunday's first session when Ponting carved out a formidable 7-1 advantage. However, it still came as a surprise when, despite the enormity of the task, world No.2 Higgins, from Wishaw, could not overturn the deficit.

He became only the second player in the top 16 so far not to reach round three and shouldered full responsibility for a largely abject performance. His initial summing up was unprintable, but, eventually expanding on his opening four-letter expletives he confessed: ''The first session was the worst I've played in my career.

''That left me too much to do even though I managed to win

the first three frames of the

afternoon.

''The real problem was that I did not treat Gary with the respect he deserved. I did the same thing against Dominic Dale in Bournemouth last month and that cost me the Grand Prix title.

''I thought I'd learned my lesson but obviously I hadn't,'' explained Higgins, who was the runner-up to Stephen Hendry just 12 months ago.

''These longer matches are supposed to suit the better players, so where does this defeat put me?

''I'll go home and have a few days off before starting to practice again. But it's not going to be easy knowing the championship is on television. I suppose I shouldn't watch it, but it will be hard to ignore it.''

Ponting, a professional since 1993 and 82 places lower in the rankings, admitted to a ''restless night'' after his sensational opening to the match.

''I kept tossing and turning before eventually dropping off,'' he said. ''Obviously with John's record he was favourite to reach the next round. But if I didn't think I had a chance of beating these guys I wouldn't have turned up.

''All the shock results at the Grand Prix show players like me that the big guns are beatable.''

Ponting conceded just 11 points in the final two frames after the worry of seeing his overnight lead cut in half just over half an hour after the resumption.

He now meets New Zealander Dene O'Kane who accounted for world No.32 Snaddon 9-6.

Snaddon fought back from 5-3 down overnight to share the first 12 frames before O'Kane pulled away again to gain revenge for his 5-4 defeat at the Grand Prix a month ago.

Burnett, the world No.36, reached the last 32 where he will play Nottingham's Anthony Hamilton. Burnett defeated Price 9-6 while Hamilton put out Troy Shaw 9-2.

''I'm happy to get through but disappointed with the way I played,'' said Burnett.

''Having said that, I'm not complaining because if I can iron out a few mistakes that are dragging me down I can do a lot better.''

There was another upset last night when 40-year-old Steve Davis returned to the table against Kent rival Gerard Greene, who proceeded to collect the three frames he needed for a 9-2 victory.

Davis, six times a Guild Hall winner, had only ever lost once in his first match in 17 appearances in the competition.

However, this defeat means he has gone out at the first hurdle for the second time in three seasons.

Later in the evening Dziewialtowski reached a career milestone when he qualified for the last 32 for the first time, beating Ulsterman Joe Swail 9-5. But Dumbarton's Marcus Campbell went out 9-6 to Ronnie O'Sullivan after resuming their final session last night at 4-4.