Chinese snooker prodigy Ding Junhui suffered an unexpected loss on Thursday to Scottish veteran Graeme Dott, thus failing to reach the last 8 of the Shanghai Masters.

 

 

China's snooker prodigy Ding Junhui reacts during his match against Graeme Dott from Scotland at the Shanghai Masters Snooker Tournament August 9, 2007. Ding lost 1-5 and was eliminated from top 16.

 

Ding Junhui, 20, lost his second-ground match 1 - 5 to 30-year-old Graeme Dott, the winner of the 2006 World Championship and the 2007 China Open.

 

Ding, who claimed the title of 2005 United Kingdom Snooker Champion, blamed his failure to the cue tip, according to the official Xinhua News.

 

Ding had his own cue tip broken in the first-round game against compatriot Yu Delu, and failed to find a satisfactory new one ahead of Thursday's match.

 

He changed his cue tips a couple of times during the game, but never seemed to conquer his increasing anxiety. In front of a full-house of adoring fans at the Shanghai Grand Stage, he was defeated in less than two hours.

 

"I was upset and out of control," Ding confessed in a post-match press conference.

 

Shanghai Daily commented that the home favorite was "weighed down by the burden of high expectations."

 

Dott, currently world No. 2, will face Stephen Lee in the quarterfinals.

 

 

Graeme Dott from Scotland plays a shot during his match against China's Ding Junhui at the Shanghai Masters Snooker Tournament August 9, 2007. Ding lost 1-5 and was eliminated from top 16.

 

(CRI August 10, 2007)