Wed Apr 21 05:50PM

It was great to see Steve Davis roll back the years and win on Tuesday night, although he must have felt a bit shaky in that deciding frame against Mark King.

It's great for snooker and I'm really chuffed for him, it's a massive achievement for someone who is 52. I'd be happy to still be walking at that age!

As far as my own game is concerned, it's a great feeling to still be left in the tournament. Although I will have had to wait a week before my match against Stephen Hendry starts, I'd rather that than not be involved at all. There's nothing worse than having to sit at home watching it on the TV knowing you're not a part of it any more.

The tournament really kicks in now, the second week is when it really starts. You feel like a part of it and you play every day without a gap. A week off is a long time but I don't mind it, I'm still in the tournament and that's all that matters.

I feel I played the perfect match in my first-round win against Ken Doherty. I punished him when I had the chances and my safety game was very good. I don't feel as though I could have done any better than that. And if I play like that and maintain that standard throughout whole tournament, I'm good enough to win it.

Ken said in his press conference after the match that I could be the "next John Higgins". It's great to be compared to Higgins, he's the reigning world champion and he's got the best all-round game at the moment. To be mentioned in same breath as him is a massive compliment.

Next up is Hendry, another former world champion. Although he has won it seven times, and it just doesn't get better than that. I'm really looking forward to playing him, it will be a great challenge. He has dominated the Crucible over the years and it's pretty much like his home. He raises his game when he goes to Sheffield, and he produces the goods when questions are asked of him.

He didn't have it as easy he would probably have liked against Zhang Anda, who took him to a deciding frame in their first-round match. But he will be pleased to get through and, after all, it is only one game.

I will keep practising now until Sunday, although I don't want to overdo it and blow myself out like I probably did three years ago when I reached the final.

I've had a couple of days on my own and on Thursday I'll practise with Joe Perry. We're in different halves of the draw so that's okay, I wouldn't play him if we were due to meet in the quarter-finals.

The tournament has been great so far, with some high-quality snooker. I think the music has been a success too, it's interesting seeing what players are going to walk out to. Let's hope we keep hearing Kasabian's ‘Underdog' for a few more days yet!

First published on www.markselby.info