Ken Doherty has been edged out of the £450,000 sterling China Open at the quarter-final stage after going down 5-4 to England’s Anthony Hamilton.
Hamilton, who has struggled with his form for the last three years, defeated the world number four in a tight but scrappy encounter to reach only the third semi-final of his career.
Doherty, in his fourth successive quarter-final, had looked in control of the match after opening a two-frame lead in the early stages. But Hamilton, who has slipped to 28th in the world, fought back and after levelling the tie at 2-2 was always in control.
"The third frame was the turning point. I should have gone 3-0 up," Doherty told reporters afterward. "Anthony is very hard to play against. He slows everything down and doesn’t let you get into any sort of rhythm. He will have to play 100 per cent better than that if he’s going to stand a chance of winning the tournament.
"It’s an opportunity missed for me and I’m very disappointed. It was frustrating not to get a chance in the final frame. At least if you get a shot and miss you have nothing to complain about," Doherty said.
Hamilton will meet 18-year-old unknown Mark Selby in the last four. Selby usurped world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-final who played a series of reckless shots on the way to a 5-3 defeat.