Ronnie O'Sullivan potted few balls and had little to say after being dumped out of the Malta Cup tonight.
Ten days after producing an outstanding performance to crush China's Ding Junhui 10-3 in the final of the Saga Insurance Masters at Wembley Arena, O'Sullivan came crashing back down to earth.
After a lacklustre exhibition, the unpredictable twice world champion crashed to a 5-3 first round defeat at the hands of Michael Holt, the world number 21.
O'Sullivan did face the press - unlike after certain matches at the Masters - but when asked three innocuous questions about the result flatly refused to comment.
Whether O'Sullivan's press conference attendance can be deemed fulfilling his contractual obligation is open to debate.
O'Sullivan has not won a match in the Malta Cup for three years.
Having received a first round walkover in 2005 he was whitewashed 5-0 by Graeme Dott and 12 months ago he missed the event, electing instead to enter a lucrative 8-ball pool tournament in America which was subsequently cancelled.
O'Sullivan led 2-1 but surrendered the fourth frame on the blue and did not score a point in the following two as Holt pulled away with breaks of 76 and 40.
Runs of 56 and 43 in the seventh frame suggested O'Sullivan could escape but Holt, with a deserved reputation for folding on the verge of big occasion victories, this time held firm by taking a scrappy eighth.
O'Sullivan has now gone 12 world ranking events without lifting a trophy. He last did so at the Irish Masters in March 2005.
Holt, who has never progressed past a quarter-final in 13 journeyman years as a professional, was delighted with a win he described as the second best of his career.
While O'Sullivan floundered it was a profitable night for two lower-ranked players from Essex, Ali Carter and Mark King, who will be Holt's opponent in the last 16.
Carter advanced to the quarter-finals by beating Hong Kong's Marco Fu - the shock first round conqueror of John Higgins.
Fu accounted for the first two frames but enjoyed no further joy as Carter compiled breaks of 69, 55 and 52 in dominating the remainder of the contest to win 5-2.
He now plays the winner of tomorrow's second round encounter between seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry and Australia's leading player, Neil Robertson.
After a scare when his cue was temporarily lost en route to the Mediterranean island, King compounded the recent woes of Barry Hawkins.
King travelled to Malta yesterday but on arrival was given the alarming news that his cue was nowhere to be seen.
Thankfully, the airline eventually located the cue at Gatwick, it was brought it to the venue three hours before the match and a relieved King took full advantage of his lucky break.
King began with a run of 74 in the first frame and never looked back as Hawkins slumped to his fifth opening round exit in as many tournaments during what has been a miserable debut season in the game's elite top 16.
