UK Snooker Championship 2017: Seeds knocked out through lack of 'fear' - Ryan Day

Welshman Ryan Day believes a lack of "fear" among snooker's lower-ranking players has led to 14 of the 16 top seeds being knocked out of the UK Snooker Championship.

Day, 37, was ranked 19th in the world going into the event in York and made the quarter-finals in a 6-5 win against China's Li Hang.

World number 21 Mark King also beat fourth-ranked John Higgins to progress.

"There's not as much fear amongst the lower-ranked players," said Day.

"I think that's why we see so many tournaments where seeds get knocked out, especially this week.

"These guys get to play against the top names far more frequently so maybe when they come up against them in big events, there's not that fear factor that there once was."

World number one Mark Selby, second-placed Judd Trump and number 10 Neil Robertson have also fallen by the wayside

Day's fellow Welshman Mark Williams, ranked 11th in the world, is also among those higher-ranked players out before the quarter-finals - in his case at the hands of Day.

To beat Li Hang, Day had to battle back from 3-1 and 4-2 down and won thanks to a brilliant break of 138 in the deciding frame.

He will face England's Mark Joyce, who beat Lyu Haotian of China 6-4, hoping to improve his own form after beating Hang.

Day said: "I've been playing well through the week, but I wasn't at my best. I was really pleased with the way I finished the game.

"I had to dig in and work hard. My game wasn't quite there.

"I thought the table was quite difficult, the cushions were very lively, but I'm happy with the way I stuck in."

Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Mark King (Eng)

Stephen Maguire (Sco) v Joe Perry (Eng)

Mark Joyce (Eng) v Ryan Day (Wal)

Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Martin Gould (Eng)