Davies pushed Olympic champion Grant Hackett into second

Davies won his semi-final ahead of Olympic champion Grant Hackett by almost a second.

He said: "I wanted to make sure I got a good lane for the final tomorrow night, that's the main thing. I just kept building throughout the race.

"I felt really good out there, it didn't take too much out of me."

His time was 13 seconds off the European record he set when winning bronze behind Hackett and Larsen Jensen in Athens last year.

Now I'm in the final, I'm really excited about what I could achieve Kate Haywood

And looking ahead to Sunday's final, he said: "It's going to be the same on Sunday night but hopefully a lot faster. It's the event that suits me most. Hopefully tomorrow I can show it."

There was more bright news for Britain on Saturday when Liam Tancock broke the British record to qualify second fastest for the final of the 50m backstroke.

The 20-year-old's time of 25.22 seconds was beaten only by Aristeidis Grigoriadis of Greece, who clocked 25.11.

Tancock's team-mate Kate Haywood was fifth fastest in qualifying for the final of the 50m breaststroke with a time of 31.41s.

Adrian Moorhouse on Team GB at the World Championships

"My aim was to make the final. I was fine out there and put my head together to go out and do what I did," said the 18-year-old from Grimsby.

"I was nervous about not making the final but now I am there, I am really excited about what I could achieve."

Haywood will line up against world record holder Zoe Baker, who competed for Great Britain before defecting to represent New Zealand last year.

Baker qualified seventh as Australia's Jade Edmistone broke the championship record in her semi-final to set the fastest time.