UK Championship: Stephen Maguire beats Mark Williams from 4-0 down

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Maguire makes thrilling comeback to beat Williams

Betway UK Championship

Venue: York Barbican Dates: 27 November-9 December

Coverage: Watch live across BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, Connected TV, the BBC Sport website and mobile app from 1 December.

Stephen Maguire says he will be "free-rolling" and playing without fear for the rest of his UK Championship run after an astonishing 6-5 comeback win over world champion Mark Williams.

The 37-year-old Glaswegian trailed 4-0, but barely missed a ball as he hit three successive centuries and a 97 in winning five consecutive frames.

The Welshman levelled but Maguire took the decider in a thrilling last-16 tie.

"At 4-0, I told my dad to get the car ready," Maguire told BBC Sport.

"I thought we could be back in Glasgow by 7pm and I should be going home now, but that is up there with my best-ever performances.

"I will be free-rolling from now on - 100%. If I go out and get beat I shouldn't be in the tournament so I cannot complain whatever happens."

Maguire, who plays Mark Allen or Neil Robertson in Friday's quarter-finals, is also now assured of a place in the Masters in January following Jack Lisowski's 6-1 defeat against Ronnie O'Sullivan.

World number 15 Maguire has not won a ranking event since his victory at the Welsh Open in 2013.

But he said coming into this tournament "was basically about trying to get a Masters spot" and he was not thinking about overall victory at the York Barbican.

If Maguire does end his near six-year wait for a ranking event win, it will be down to the all-out attack approach he adopted after a dreadful start against Williams.

"The first four frames I couldn't have been any worse, but after that it couldn't have gone any better," said Maguire, who was also a UK Championship runner-up in 2007.

"I went for everything and was not going to get bogged down.

"I started to pull the cue right back and hope for the best and they started going in. In a best-of-11, as long as the other guy isn't on five then you have a tiny, wee chance."

'One of the best matches I've seen' - analysis

Former world, UK and Masters champion Shaun Murphy on BBC Two

It's one of the best matches I've ever seen, certainly one of the best comebacks I've ever seen.

Stephen came out after the interval like a completely different player. In the fifth frame he was going for his shots and he has always played his best stuff when he does that.

Getting a bit bogged down trying to play cleverly, trying to play good safety - it's not really how he plays.

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