RONNIE O'Sullivan went close to going out of the Embassy World

Championships in Blackpool last night. The teenage snooker sensation was

8-6 down to 20-year-old Andy Hicks of Plymouth in his eighth qualifying

round match but hit back to scrape through 10-8.

O'Sullivan now meets 1991 European Open champion Tony Jones today for

a place in the final stages of the game's leading event at the Crucible

Theatre, Sheffield, in April.

Hicks, who beat O'Sullivan in last season's European Open, seemed set

for a repeat until his opponent responded with a four-frame burst.

Alex Higgins beat Andrew Cairns 10-5 and will face Tony Knowles today.

Cliff Thorburn, the 1980 champion, beat Liverpool's Rod Lawler -- with

breaks of 121 and 113 -- and meets Malta's Tony Drago. Scottish results:

B Snaddon (Sco) beat S Newbury (Wales) 10-4; D Henry (Sco) beat S

Storey (Eng) 10-5.