Ronnie O'Sullivan has suffered a whitewash defeat to Tian Pengfei in the Welsh Open quarter-finals on Friday afternoon.
Despite being the world number one, O'Sullivan needed to win the tournament in Llandudno in order to qualify for next week's Players Championship.
The seven-time world champion would have been satisfied with a last-eight showdown with Pengfei, the world number 49, but he was thoroughly outplayed by his opponent.
Two half-centuries in the opening two frames helped Pengfei establish a lead before he capitalised on an O'Sullivan mistake at the end of the third to increase his advantage.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's hopes of a spot in the Players Championship are over...
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) February 17, 2023
Tian Pengfei with a stunning 5-0 win!
📺 @BBCWales | @discoveryplusUK | @Eurosport | #HomeNations 🏴 pic.twitter.com/1iYllqT5se
That was soon followed by an 82 break to put him on the brink of the biggest win of his career, and Pengfei took the fifth frame without reply to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Pengfei, who will be participating in his first televised last-four tie, had previously defeated Jimmy White, Ali Carter and John Higgins for the loss of just five frame before thrashing O'Sullivan.
However, Yuan Sijun could not replicate his compatriot's effort in the preceding match, succumbing to a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Shaun Murphy.
