GRAEME DOTT ended the reign of defending champion Neil Robertson 6-5 in a thrilling fourth round Coral UK Championship battle.

The clash of the two former world champions at the York Barbican saw the Scotsman race into a 5-0 lead as the pair tried to book a quarter-final clash with Stuart Bingham.

But Robertson, bidding to become the first player to hold on to his title since Stephen Hendry in 1996, threatened to pull off arguably the greatest comeback in the tournament’s history - reeling off five frames in a row to set up a dramatic decider.

Robertson had a chance in the last, after Dott broke down early in the frame, but he missed a tricky long brown to the green pocket and Dott produced a determined 56 to get over the line.

He was visibly relieved as he potted the crucial red, puffing out his cheeks, and afterwards said he was delighted to still be in the competition.

“That was tough for me due to the fact I was 5-0 up,” Dott said. “It’s a sore one to lose. I had 56 in the last and, even though they were all pretty easy, I don’t know how any of them went in.

“I just felt I was going to miss everything no matter how easy they were. You are just trusting your technique that it holds up and, luckily for me, it held up long enough.

“I don’t care who I play next. I am just delighted to get through.”

Quickly out of the blocks with a break of 63, Dott built up his formidable cushion - partly thanks to some fluent potting but also because of some uncharacteristic misses, particularly from distance, by Robertson.

He left a red hanging over a bottom corner pocket as he went 3-0 behind and went in off in the next after Dott, who broke down on 52, finally looked to have given him an opportunity.

It got worse for Robertson in the first frame after the mid-session interval.

With the frame in his grasp, he wobbled the green in the jaws and found himself on the brink of the championship exit door.

But facing oblivion, the Australian suddenly found a new gear.

He fired in breaks of 100 and 106 and then forced a shoot-out with a thrilling 79, only to come up just short.

Robertson said: “I am very proud of myself for the way I came back. There are a lot of positives to take but I am very disappointed to let my title go at the last 16 stage.

“I would have loved to get to the one table set up and I believe I would have had I won that match.”

In the evening’s other match, James Cahill’s fairytale was brought to an end.

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.

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 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 his triumph over Ding and regarded in some quarters as the ‘new Ronnie O’Sullivan’.

With that in mind, and an emerging talent that is still developing, it was probably no surprise that 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.”