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Inspired Allen dumps Ronnie out
Snooker, 14:56, April 25, 2009 ,
Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has been knocked out of the World Championships by Northern Ireland's Mark Allen.
O'Sullivan had started the final session with a 9-7 lead but Allen started brilliantly to take the first three frames to go ahead.
The world number one responded in the next frame with a century break but with a maximum on the cards, he will have been disappointed it broke down at 105.
The next two frames were shared but it was the world number 16 who kept his composure and booked his place in the quarter-finals, where he will face either Ryan Day or Nigel Bond.
O'Sullivan believes that Allen has the talent to go all the way, and admitted he had not expected to make it past his first round in the first place.
"He played brilliantly - if he keeps on playing like that he's got a great chance of winning the tournament," said O'Sullivan.
"But I half expected that. I didn't expect to get through my first round, to be honest. I'm not surprised - I think anyone would have beaten me playing on that type of form.
"I can't imagine he'll be jumping around and doing cartwheels after beating me with the way I played - I was very poor but that's the way it goes."