Blackpool's James Cahill was involved in another snooker classic at the Barbican Centre in York but could not continue his remarkable success story in the Betway UK Championship.
READ MORE: James Cahill pulls off huge shock to stun Mark Selby
The 22-year-old amateur had pulled off the shock of the season by beating world number one Mark Selby 6-3 in the opening round but was edged out 6-5 by Thailand's Sunny Akani in round two on Saturday night.
The late-night thriller was reminiscent of Cahill's unforgettable third-round win over Ding Junhui, then the world number three, in the same competition four years ago but this time Marton-based Cahill was to lose the tense 11th-frame decider.
After winning the first frame against world number 65 Akani with a break of 58, Cahill went 3-1 behind after the Thai made the biggest break of the match, 87, in the second.
Over the next four frames, Cahill twice reduced the deficit to one only for Akani to then re-establish his two-frame lead.
Cahill took the seventh 116-0 with his best break of the match, 64, but after losing the next he had reached the point of no return at 5-3.
The Barbican stage continued to bring the best out of Cahill, who won a tense ninth frame 68-51 and levelled the match at 5-5 with his second half-century of the match.
He looked like winning the decider as well but Akani, who reached the fourth round last year, held his nerve for a decisive 76 break and a 77-64 win.
Cahill, whose mother Maria was a top player on the ladies' circuit, spent four years as a professional but lost his tour card last year and is back competing in the amateur ranks.
His disappointing form led him to consider quitting the sport but the UK Championship has put Cahill back on the snooker map, just as it did in 2014.
