O'Sullivan could not overcome Holt at the Malta Cup

O'Sullivan was unable to produce the form that won the Masters recently and crashed 5-3 to world number 21 Holt.

And three times he made no comment when asked about the result in his news conference following the match.

O'Sullivan was given dispensation not to speak to the press at the Masters because of ongoing personal problems.

Scotland's Graeme Dott also moved into the quarter-finals with a 5-3 victory over qualifier Tom Ford.

I'm not complaining but I thought I would've been on the number one table Graeme Dott

Ryan Day beat Matthew Stevens 5-3 and Shaun Murphy edged Stephen Lee 5-4.

O'Sullivan led 2-1 but surrendered the fourth frame on the blue and did not score a point in the following two as Holt pulled away with breaks of 76 and 40.

Runs of 56 and 43 in the seventh frame suggested O'Sullivan could escape but Holt, with a deserved reputation for folding on the verge of big occasion victories, this time held firm by taking a scrappy eighth.

Holt said: "I beat Stephen Hendry at the LG Cup in 2003 but this is close in terms of how satisfying it feels.

"To beat Ronnie at any time is a confidence boost because he's such a brilliant player.

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"I kept telling myself to be patient and when I got my chance I took it."

Defending world champion Dott was unhappy that his match had taken place on an outside table.

Dott, who knocked in a 135 clearance in the fifth frame to stamp his authority on the match, asid he thought he should have played in front of the television cameras on the main table.

"I'm not complaining but I thought I would've been on the number one table," said Dott.

"It really does make a difference. The outside tables are quite slow here and young guys like Tom are used to being on them, not on the TV table.