Mark Allen's wait for a third BetVictor Northern Ireland Open title will go on after losing 4-3 to Oliver Lines in Belfast.
Allen, whose participation was in doubt earlier this month due to a reported family reasons, missed numerous chances to take the frame he needed at the Waterfront Hall, and was punished by his in-form opponent.
After failing to convert a couple of chances in the first, Allen took the second with a break of 87.
Lines hit back with a break of 73 to restore his lead but the Antrim town man won two scrappy frames to move to the brink of victory.
Having reached a first ranking event semi-final at last month's British Open, Lines found some form with long potting getting him in to win the fifth and sixth frames and force a decider.
Allen then put the squeeze on at the start of the seventh frame, forcing a safety error from the Englishman. But the world number three then missed a straightforward red once he got in and Lines got over the line after a couple of scoring visits.
Neil Robertson awaits Leeds-born Lines after dispatching Wang Yuchen 4-0.
Elsewhere this afternoon, Martin O'Donnell brought Jimmy White's interest to an end with a comeback 4-2 victory over the Whirlwind.
White led twice early on but missed a chance to go two frames clear at 2-1, and the momentum swung in favour of O'Donnell, 24 years his junior.
Barry Hawkins defeated John Higgins 4-2 to set up a last-16 clash with defending champion Judd Trump.
World champion Kyren Wilson edged past Anthony McGill 4-3 but last year's Crucible winner Luca Brecel was beaten 4-1 by China's Pang Junxu.
