TEENAGER James Cahill sent two-time UK Champion Ding Junhui packing from the competition in a dramatic night at the York Barbican.

The 18-year-old beat the Chinese superstar 6-5 to spring a huge shock as the tournament starts to reach the business end.

Cahill, who whitewashed Mark King in the opening round before seeing off Andrew Higginson in the last 64, led 5-1 and missed two good chances to win the match as Ding dug in with breaks of 60 and 55 to close the deficit to a single frame.

Blackpool-born Cahill, the world number 100, looked like he had won the match in the next but, when all he had to do was roll a red into the green pocket, he tried to force it with a flourish and missed.

Ding still needed three snookers but left Cahill tied up behind the black and, when the youngster missed, the Chinese player bagged a free ball to eat up the deficit.

He came through a massive battle in the colours, with the help of a spectacular black in a 47 minute frame, to force a decider.

But after getting the first chance, Ding missed a straight-forward red and Cahill summoned the will to take charge with a break of 56 - the crowning shot a nerveless doubled red into the middle pocket.

It gave him a 24 point lead and, after Ding made a mess of a safety, the Lancastrian fired in a long red to beat a player who has won 11 ranking events - and book a last 16 spot with Mark Davis.

Cahill said: "I am so glad to win. It is a lot of relief because if I had lost that from 5-1 up - and it is more than doable as Ding isn't where he is by a fluke - I wouldn't have been getting over it tonight. I am glad to win.

"I think my family went through it as much as I did. We are all in it together. They all want me to win. Ding's got quite a big fan base to mine so we were all going through it."

On playing Davis in the last 16, Cahill added: "Hopefully the tournament doesn't end here. I am in it to win it.

"It's going to be another tough game. He is a great player and I think I am going to have to play a bit more consistently in a few departments.

"I was happy with my game but there's bits which I need to knuckle down with and keep my concentration.

"You don't enter to get beaten at a certain round. I am in it to hopefully win it. I think you have got to have that attitude. I am going to go in, I have got nothing to lose. I am playing well. I have beaten some good players and, hopefully, it will go well." 

Ding added: "I didn't play well. I did very well last year but I have done nothing this season. James played very well and he looks very different to when I have played him before."

Rod Lawler, the world number 35, trailed Mark Allen 3-0 in their last 32 clash but found amazing reserves to beat the 2011 finalist, and the sixth ranked player in the globe, 6-4.

The Liverpudlian, who has also beaten Alex Borg and Martin Gould in this UK Championship run and will now take on Judd Trump, said: “I think he (Allen) had two centuries in the first three frames and I lost a long second.

“My thoughts were just on trying to win frames at that point - by any means. As the match wore on, I played much better.

“I had a century myself and, towards the end, I got a little bit of run at times and I made some good 50 breaks. It’s a big win for me against a player of Mark’s calibre.”

Lawler, who since his return to the tour in 2012 has won a European Tour event in Gloucester, added: “It’s probably one of the better results of my career, especially against a very in-form player. It’s a massive bonus for me.”