RONNIE O’SULLIVAN moved into overdrive to shoot down boyhood hero Steve Davis last night.

A rejuvenated Rocket all but saved his place in the top 16 with a 6-1 thrashing of Davis at the williamhill.com UK Championship at the Barbican Centre in York.

But there could be more to come as O’Sullivan, 36 today, goes looking for a fifth UK title.

World No.44 Davis, 54, warned the field: “Ronnie hit the ball as well as I have ever seen him.”

Earlier World No.1 Mark Selby, a possible final opponent for O’Sullivan, whitewashed Welshman Ryan Day 6-0.