UK Championship 2016: Joe Perry 'dragged Xiao Guodong down'

Joe Perry defeated Jamie Curtis-Barrett in the 2016 UK Championship first round

Joe Perry says he is only still in this year's UK Championship because he dragged his second-round opponent down to his own below-par standards.

World number nine Perry trailed China's Xiao Guodong 2-0 and 4-1, but won five frames in a row to scrape to victory.

Perry, 42, plays Matthew Stevens in the third round on Tuesday and is amazed he has the chance to face the Welshman.

"To play that badly and win is just terrible," the Cambridgeshire professional told BBC Sport.

"I can't believe I'm still in. I don't beat myself up, but if I hadn't been on such a bad run of form, I could take some positives out of that. However, I still can't.

"I'd love to sit here and say 'what an amazing comeback' but I basically just dragged him down!"

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Perry has not been beyond the last 16 of a tournament since losing 10-8 to Ali Carter in the World Open final in July.

"I can't remember the last time I put together a real solid match and came out the victor against someone who was potting a lot of balls," said Perry, a UK Championship semi-finalist in 2004.

"The main positive is I'm still in. My attitude has been good and hopefully that can bring me some success.

"I tried my hardest but they just weren't going where they were supposed to. I nicked a couple of frames on the black and even in the last frame he was really unlucky and then I made a frame-winning break. I think it was my only break over 40 in the whole match.

"There's still a hell of a lot to do, but I'm just so grateful to still be in."