Carter dumped out of Snooker championships by McManus

Carter dumped out of Snooker championships by McManus

SHEFFIELD (UNITED KINGDOM) - Two-time snooker World Championship finalist Ali Carter crashed out in the last 16 to Alan McManus 13-11 on Saturday, after letting a 9-7 overnight lead slip.

Ali Carter of England is watched by referee Michaela Tabbduring the second session of the World Championship Snooker final against Ronnie O'Sullivan of England at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England on May 7, 2012

The 45-year-old Scot McManus reeled off four frames in a row before closing out the victory, with Carter furious about the conditions at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

"The conditions were absolutely horrific - there were kicks every other shot and big bounces," he said.

"I don't think I've played on a table that bad in my career. It's the same for both players but it's how it affects you mentally.

"Everything that could go wrong did go wrong and I was powerless to stop it. I said to Peter (Ebdon) during the interval that I just wanted to smash the whole place up and go home - that's how frustrated I was."

McManus said he understood why Carter was upset, but the 1994 Masters champion is now just one win away from reaching the semi-finals in Sheffield for the first time in 23 years.

"I could sense (Carter's frustration) and I could understand why, with the conditions being quite trying out there on our table," said McManus, the oldest player left in the tournament.

Two-time champion Mark Williams is also through to the last eight, after seeing off England's Michael Holt 13-8.

The Welshman, who won the title in 2000 and 2003, has had something of a resurgence this year after dropping out of the world's top 16 and failing to reach the second round three years in a row.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's quest for a sixth world title hit a slight bump on Saturday, as Barry Hawkins reeled off three straights frames to take a 5-3 lead after the first session.

O'Sullivan struck two fluent centuries to move ahead, but 2013 runner-up Hawkins fought back to take control after a high-quality start to the contest.

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