Dubliner Ken Doherty crashed out of the Masters snooker tournament this afternoon 6-1 to Chinese teenage sensation Ding Junhui.
The 17-year-old Chinese starlet included a brilliant 141 clearance in the opening frame to take the lead for a £10,000 high break prize.
Doherty, twice a Masters finalist, contributed to his downfall with a succession of missed opportunities.
And the combination ensured Ding advanced to a last eight meeting against Ronnie O'Sullivan or Graeme Dott - his first ever major quarter-final.
"Ding has a good all-round game," said Doherty, struggling with a debilitating ear infection.
"He is quite mature for 17 and looks very relaxed on the big stage. He just needs a bit more experience to go to the next level and that comes from playing in tournaments like this.
"Once he tightens up he's going to be an even tougher opponent."
Junhui earned his crack at Dubliner Doherty by defeating Hong Kong rival Marco Fu in the opening round on Monday.
Today's performance was a step up in class and might have contained a 147 break in frame three.
"But I got a kick when I was on 81," said the former world under-21 champion through his interpreter.
"I would like to play Ronnie because it would be the first time we've met," he said.
Doherty's only success came in the second frame and Junhui's run of 52 took him into a 3-1 interval lead.
It became 4-1 when Doherty missed a black off its spot with a possible chance to clear the table. And another miss on the pink in frame six proved decisive.
The 35-year-old world number seven did force a re-spotted black finish to the frame but it was Junhui who knocked in the seven-pointer.
Doherty's 47 in the seventh frame was his best of the contest but even that could not inspire him to a comeback.
"I wasn't 100% because of the ear trouble but when you've got an illness, you've just got to get on with it."
