Scott Donaldson is swept away

Scott Donaldson during his match with Li Hang. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

The Perth potter stunned defending champion and world No.1 Mark Selby in the second round with a 6-2 victory. And Donaldson was hoping his dogged cue problems were behind him following his triumph over the defending champion.

But the 23-year-old struggled to reproduce any of that inspired form against Hang in the opening exchanges. The Chinese cueman opened the contest with a break of 134, the fifth highest in the competition.

The 27-year-old was turning the screw and clinched two more frames before the interval to put himself firmly in command at the Barbican, in York.

Donaldson was facing a battle to save his Betway UK Championship journey but the Scot was on the board in the fourth as he edged a tight frame 61-54.

But Hang put a stop to any Donaldson momentum as he clocked up 73 points to clinch the fifth frame.

Donaldson came close to restoring hope but Hang edged the sixth to leave the Scot on the edge of defeat.

Hang was now in the groove and won the seventh frame at a canter.

It was not to be for the Donaldson, who will not join compatriots Graeme Dott and Stephen Maguire in the last 16 after they beat Judd Trump and Liang Wenbo although John  Higgins could yet join them if he wins today.

Third round: Graeme Dott (Sco) bt Judd Trump (Eng) 6-2, Stephen Maguire (Sco) bt Liang Wenbo (Chn) 6-5, Lyu Haotian (Chn) bt Marco Fu (Hkg) 6-4, Ryan Day (Wal) bt Mark Williams (Wal) 6-5

n Watch LIVE coverage of the UK Championship on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.