Ding Junhui has been denied from the World Snooker Champion after losing 10-6 to England's red-hot Barry Hawkins in the final qualifying round.

Barry Hawkins kept his fantastic season going with a 10-6 defeat of Ding Junhui in the final qualifying round of the 888.com World Snooker Championship at Prestatyn Wednesday morning.

Ding was made one of the favorites for snooker's premier event following his stunning triumph in the Travis Perkins UK Championship in December, but for the first time in the sport's history, the UK champion will not be present at the Crucible.

Instead it's 26-year-old Hawkins from Beckenham in Kent whose name goes into the velvet bag for the last 32 draw to be made on BBC Radio Five Live on Friday morning.

The left-hander is arguably the most improved player on the circuit over the past two seasons. He was a semi-finalist at the Grand Prix and Welsh Open during the current campaign and has a chance to break into the top eight of the rankings having stood at No 43 last season.

"I can't believe I'm through, I'm so delighted," said Hawkins. "I knew it would be a tough match against Ding and there was a lot of build up, but I just wanted to play the way I have been this season. It's all on the day, no matter who you are playing.

Hawkins led 6-3 at the end of the first session after top breaks of 75 and 64. Back came China's 18-year-old Ding to 6-6, making a 104 in frame 12.

But the Englishman stole the next on the black with a cool 51 clearance and came from 58-1 down to win the 14th frame with a brilliant long pot on the last black.

That broke Ding's resistance as Hawkins went 9-6 ahead then sealed victory with a superb 106.

John Parrott, the 1991 champion, survived a marathon struggle against Lee Spick, winning 10-9 on the final pink.

Marco Fu from Chinese Hong Kong completed a tremendous comeback as he came from 5-1 and 7-4 down to beat O'Brien 10-7.

The Dubliner made 100 and 103 to lead 6-3 after the first session and looked en route to victory when he came from 64-0 down to take the 11th frame with a 65 clearance.

But Hong Kong's Fu, who knocked out Ronnie O'Sullivan on his way to the quarter-finals in 2003, raced through the last six frames with 60, 89, 41, 40 and 48.

"I couldn't get going in the first session and Fergal played well," said Fu, who has slipped to No 39 in the latest rankings. "But I held myself together when I threw frames away.

"The interval came at the right time and I told myself to just enjoy it in the second session. This is a transitional season for me because I'm working on technical changes to my game with Terry Griffiths and I need time to adjust."

(Worldsnooker March 15, 2006)