Seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan was dumped out of the UK Championship by Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher in Milton Keynes.

The world number 66 produced a thrilling display of attacking snooker then held his nerve to repel an O’Sullivan comeback and edge a 6-5 second round win.

It was Ursenbacher’s second win over O’Sullivan in two career meetings, having also triumphed in their match at the Welsh Open last year.

Despite an error-strewn display, O’Sullivan looked set to dredge up a place in the last 32 when he turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead.

Ursenbacher’s policy of all-out attack, which had served him so well in the first part of the match, began to go astray as he neared the winning line.

But a badly overcut red saw a plainly exasperated O’Sullivan miss his own chance to seal victory and extended his agony into a decider.

Ursenbacher pounced with a pair of brilliant long reds which earned him his chance to wrap up the frame and with it easily the biggest win of his career.

Ursenbacher said: “That was a very big test for me – I knew I could beat him in a best of 11 and I had absolutely nothing to lose so I had to fancy the job.

“Ronnie is a great, great player so you know what you’re up against, but I just tried to treat it like a practice match and focus on the next ball.

“My goal was just to play Ronnie, and this has opened so many doors for me that my goal is to win it now.”