Another afternoon, another former world champion is on his way home. Four-time world champion Johnny Archer suffered the same fate as 1999, losing to an unheralded Asian player. Japan's Akikimo Toshikawa knocked Archer out in the round of 32 with a solid 9-6 win Thursday afternoon at the Victor Chandler World Pool Championship in Cardiff, Wales. Archer joins fellow American Nick Varner and Efren Reyes of the Philippines as former world champions shown the door in the 96-player, $250,000 world championship.

Japan's Kunihiko Takahashi, the 1998 world 9-ball champion, avoided a similar fate in a big way by crushing top British player Steve Knight's hopes, 9-0. Still, the talk around the Cardiff International Arena Thursday was Steve Davis' amazing 9-8 win over defending champion Reyes Wednesday night.

"Bedlam As Davis Sinks Champion!" screamed the back page of Thursday's South Wales Echo newspaper. "I still don't believe this happened," said the 43-year-old former snooker world champion, who earned a Thursday evening match-up against Germany's Ralf Souquet for his troubles. Davis trailed Reyes, 8-2, before mounting his titanic comeback. "When I finally got my chance, I had nothing to lose. I kept position and didn't gamble. I played safety when I had to, and just made every ball.

"In a way, it is such a shame that Reyes has been knocked out because he is such a great player." "I played safe at 8-2," recalled Reyes. "Then he made a shot and ran out. I had one shot in the next game, and played bad position. After that, I didn't get any shots. He made everything."

Thursday evening's matches include Dutch hopeful Niels Feyen (who knocked Francisco Bustamante out Tuesday) against German champion Oliver Ortmann, and young English shooter Kevin Smith against Earl Strickland.

Round of 32 - July 6

Alex Pagulayan (CAN) def. Alain Martel (CAN) - 9-4

Kunihiko Takahashi (JAP) def. Steve Knight (ENG) - 9-0

Akikimo Toshikawa (JAP) def. Johnny Archer (USA) - 9-5

Mika Immonen (FIN) def. Evgenji Stalev (RUS) - 9-6

Chin-Shun Yang (TAI) def. Leonardo Andam (PHIL) - 9-8

Allen Hopkins (USA) def. Dave Matlock (USA) - 9-7

Corey Deuel (USA) def. Kim Davenport (USA) - 9-4