UK Championship: Ronnie O'Sullivan loses to Stuart Bingham

Reigning world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has been knocked out of the UK Championship after a 6-4 quarter-final defeat to Stuart Bingham.

Bingham led 3-1 at the mid-session interval before O'Sullivan hit back with two brilliant centuries.

However, world number 10 Bingham held his nerve to progress to the semi-finals in York.

The 37-year-old will play world number one Neil Robertson, who beat Stephen Maguire 6-2.

Elsewhere, Ricky Walden beat Mark Allen 6-2 to set up a last four encounter with defending champion and world number two Mark Selby, who edged past Barry Hawkins 6-5.

O'Sullivan, who was celebrating his 38th birthday, said: "I want to congratulate Stuart. He played a fantastic match and he's had another brilliant tournament.

"He's an in-form player, a seasoned player now, so you just have to congratulate him on a fantastic performance and I just wish him the best of luck for the rest of the tournament.

"It just shows the character of the guy, he's able to do it under pressure now so all credit to him, and good luck to him."

Bingham hit a classy 131 break as he moved 4-1 in front before O'Sullivan compiled a break of 135 in just seven-and-a-half minutes to pull a frame back.

A break of 46 reduced the deficit to one frame, but Bingham edged a scrappy eighth frame to move to within one of victory.

Back came O'Sullivan, this time making an excellent 127, but an error in the next after making 28 let Bingham back in and the Englishman punished the four-time UK champion's mistake.

Ahead of his semi-final against Robertson, Bingham said: "You've got to beat everyone in front of you.

"I've got not a bad record against Neil and I'll be pretty confident. It's my first UK semi-final and, I'm going to jinx myself here but I've got a good semi-final record."