Parrott was in superb form

Six-time champion Davis trailed Parrott 6-3 but pegged the scores back to 6-6 before the 1991 winner pulled away again with breaks of 79, 80 and 64.

But "the Nugget" hung on and fought his way to 9-9, including a 96 in the 18th.

But an in-off from Davis in the decider allowed Parrott to get the necessary points he needed for victory.

Interview: John Parrott

Parrott praised Davis for his role in the match.

"It was some game," said the Liverpudlian.

I thought John played very well Steve Davis

"He's such a fantastic competitor, he can tangle you in knots at times. You can see why he still gets to the latter end of tournaments.

"Steve's matchplay is of the highest quality. He wants to beat me and I want to beat him."

Davis was equally impressed with Parrott's display.

"It was close, but I'm a bit flat after losing," he said.

"You try to pull yourself out of a hole at 6-1 down and then 9-6, but I still lost. I thought John played very well.

"It was a tough first-round match but I was excited as well. Your recovery rate gets better as you get older, I'm more philosophical these days when I lose because I just play for the enjoyment."