In 1996, Davis reached the quarter-finals of both the Masters and world championship, losing to McManus and Ebdon, respectively. The following year, at the 1997 Masters, Davis reached the final, defeating McManus, Ebdon and Doherty. Trailing O'Sullivan 4–8 in the final, Davis won six frames in a row, securing a 10–8 victory. The win was Davis' last fully professional title of his career, his third Masters title. At the world championship later that year, Davis defeated David McLellan in the opening round, before losing to Doherty 3-13. He also reached the second round in the 1998 event, where he defeated Simon Bedford, but lost to Williams 6-13.