Hendry and Williams back to best

Mark Williams beat Dave Harold to reach the last eight

By BBC Sport's Clive Everton in Preston

Seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams, the 2000 champion, will dispute a semi-final place in the LG Cup at Preston.

Both have vastly improved upon their performances at the circuit's last port of call, the British Open at Newcastle.

Hendry described his 5-1 defeat there by Anthony Davies, world number 31, as the worst performance of his career.

He was not far wrong.

Williams scraped past fellow Welshman Paul Davies 5-4 and then went out 5-2 to world number 61 Allister Carter.

He quipped afterwards: "The only player I fancy beating at the moment is Hendry."

When Williams sprained his right ankle, he seemed unlikely to progress very far this week.

Hendry: 25 months without winning ranking tournament

Largely on will power, he hobbled past the Australian number one, Quentin Henry, 5-4.

But after two days treatment, he was moving much more freely.

At 3-3, world number 13 Dave Harold had him under pressure, leading 66-0 in the seventh frame.

But almost for the first time this season, his undisputable class which has taken him to top place in the world rankings, summoned a superb 65 clearance to win that frame on the black.

He then went on to win 5-3.

Hendry's mind was fatally divided in Newcastle between trying to compete and trying to concentrate on the technical adjustments he has made since putting himself under the wing of Terry Griffiths, the 1979 World Champion, who has built a fine reputation as a coach.

Not only Hendry's technique but also his old killer instinct was fully intact as he secured his 5-4 win over a fellow Scot, Alan McManus.

He led 4-2 but McManus made back-to-back centuries, 100 and 126, before Hendry - from his first chance - secured the decider with a run of 101.

Quite like old times and an indication that the 25-month drought in terms of ranking titles may be relieved before too long.

John Higgins, winner of a hat-trick of early season titles, was in deep trouble against Mark King, whom he had beaten nine times in 10 attempts, including a 6-0 whitewash in the British Open semi-finals.

King led 4-2 but Higgins showed his class in the nick of time, scraping home in the seventh, winning the eighth with a 142 and recovering well to win the last.

His quarter-final opponent is Stephen Lee, world number eight, who beat British Open runner-up Graeme Dott 5-4 on the final black.

Lee was within two pots of beating Higgins in their British Open quarter-final, before the UK champion cleaned up with 53 to win 5-4 on the final black.

On the face of it, Higgins is still favourite to reach the final from the bottom half of the draw.

Higgins seemed jaded against Mark King

But he looked burnt out from his early season success and it was almost too late against King.

His first defeat of the season - apart from a "dead" group match against Hendry in the Champions Cup at Brighton - may not be far away.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has had a day off but cannot afford an off-day against Peter Ebdon.

Ebdon is a formidable competitor whose break of 75 in the decider against brought him through 5-4 against Paul Hunter.

Joe Swail, who has reached the last two Embassy World Championship semi-finals, did not know that his quarter-final here would be Barry Hawkins until after midnight on Thursday.

Hawkins, world ranked 85, started in the first qualifying round and won his seventh match in the competition in beating Marco Fu, world number 17, 5-4 through a break of 116 in the decider.

The Catford player, who thereby assures himself of £11,700, said in the immediate aftermath of his victory: "My head is spinning. I just can't believe it. I'm so pleased."

His performance illustrates the circuit's strength in depth.