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Aaron Hill saw his sensational run at the European Masters finally finished by Chinese star Yan Bingtao on Friday night.
The 18-year-old tour rookie from Cork has gotten off to a spectacular start to his professional career over the past week in Milton Keynes.
The teenager’s life may never be the same again after achieving a surprising victory over six-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan on Thursday night.
Hill proved it was no fluke by following up with a 5-3 win over former Masters champion and two-time World Championship finalist Matthew Stevens on Friday afternoon.
But the youngster, who earned his tour card by winning the European Under-21 Championship, saw his challenge be stopped 5-1 in the knockout stage by world number 15.
“I was disappointed to lose tonight, but obviously there are a lot of positives to this week,” Hill said. “And I can leave satisfied with what I have done with much more confidence and looking forward to the next event.
“Yan punished me for every mistake, and that’s what you get at this level.
“And now that I like it, I would love to experience more in the future. It has been amazing.”
Yan, just two years older than Hill at 20, already has a qualifying title to his name after being successful at the Riga Masters last season.
He took over the game with breaks of 94 and 50, and with the next two frames shared, Hill was down 3-1 in the mid-session interval.
A 60 break from Yan left Hill on edge 4-1 down and the Chinese ace soon closed the competition.
Hill will never forget just his second tournament as a professional, and he has communicated some serious intentions at the Marshall Arena, not to mention adding £ 6,000 to the coffers.
With Irish legend and former world champion Ken Doherty watching Hill away from the table, he seemed to enjoy every aspect of the big tournament experience.
The minor characters could have easily been shaken when two players failed Covid-19 tests, the first time it happened in billiards, and three more were also sent home after coming into contact with them.
But far from angry, Hill attacked his marquee clash with world No. 2 O’Sullivan with verve and courage, and after facing the winner of 37 qualifying titles, he deserved some fortune in the decider.
Hill can take pride not only in his performances, but also in the way he has handled all the scrutiny that comes with a high-profile victory, and seems destined for a great future.
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