SNOOKER:Provisional world number one Ken Doherty became the highest-ranked player to bow out of the UK Championship in York last night after losing 9-6 to Joe Perry in the third round.

The Irishman won only one of the last seven frames after resuming 5-3 up and said: "It just didn't happen for me."

Ding Junhui stayed on course to become only the third man to successfully defend the title when the Chinese teenager, who captured the sport's second most prestigious crown as a qualifier last year, won 9-5 against Matthew Stevens to reach the quarter-finals.

It was a typical Ding display, for he produced some brilliant long pots and compiled breaks of 111, 100, 92 and 81, but also played shots where a lack of concentration was evident.

That can be forgiven, however, with the 19-year-old having won three gold medals at the Asian Games in Qatar immediately before this event.