JAMES CAHILL’S fairytale Coral UK Snooker Championship was brought to an end last night.

The world number 100, who caused the shock of the tournament when knocking out Ding Junhui in the last 32, lost 6-2 to Mark Davis as he bid to reach the quarter-finals of snooker's second biggest tournament.

The Blackpool-based teenager was unable to reach the heights he had scaled against Ding on Tuesday night.

Davis was steady, rather than spectacular, but he was able to capitalise on the youngster’s mistakes and, with a highest break of just 49, it was inevitable Cahill would struggle.

It had been a whirlwind 24 hours for the 18-year-old, who found himself in demand after win over the Chinese superstar and suddenly branded in some quarters as the ‘new Ronnie O’Sullivan’.

With that in mind, and as an emerging talent that is still developing, it was probably no surprise he suffered a let down in performance.

Davis, who reached the last four of the UK in York in 2012, said: “I felt a little more like myself. I am still missing far too many balls.

“It is a real battle for me out there. I am not at the top of my game and I am having to really focus.”

Davis will play either Judd Trump or Rod Lawler in the last eight and, on the former, he said: “Everyone knows Judd is one of the best players in the world. The game is lucky to have him. He’s going to be around for the next ten to 20 years.”

Cahill said: “I can’t believe how badly I played. I had so many chances. Mark has done enough and he has had what I have given him.

"It’s so disappointing given how well I was playing. I went out there with confidence and I don’t know where that performance has come from."