Paul Hunter's dream of success in the Travis Perkins UK Championship was quickly ended yesterday but the 27-year-old, who is battling against cancer, insisted he had plenty to look forward to.
The world No 5 resumed his third-round match against Chinese sensation Ding Junhui in York trailing 7-1 and, after providing a glimpse of his true form with a break of 58 to win frame ten, he bowed out with a 9-2 defeat.
Although he showed the chemotherapy he is undergoing has not completely ravaged his game by winning his opening match of the tournament, Hunter was handicapped by the lack of feeling in his body and could offer little resistance to his emerging 18-year-old opponent.
But he also has plenty on his mind too - less than ideal for such a mental game as snooker - and it is certainly not all negative, for the Leeds player's thoughts immediately turned to becoming a father for the first time just after Christmas.
''I'm disappointed to have been beaten and disappointed that I've got cancer, but happy that I won a match here and happy that I've got a baby coming,'' said Hunter, whose wife Lindsey is due to give birth in a fortnight's time.
''I'm looking forward to the 27th and hopefully my son or daughter can inspire me to play well. It's tough but I'll keep going to tournaments and keep trying.''
Hunter's chemotherapy will continue until the end of February and it will be six months after that before he can expect to have regained full health.
''The doctors say you have to try to live your life as normally as possible but it's difficult when you are having chemo,'' added Hunter.
''You get tired very easily, although I'm not having as much sickness now as I did in the summer.
''I just wanted to play something like I could here but I didn't. You need a clear mind to play snooker and I haven't got that at the moment."
Ding, who won the China Open as an amateur last season, has lost only eight frames in his three matches at the Barbican Centre. His next opponent will be either world champion Shaun Murphy or rising Australian star Neil Robertson.
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