The pair split the first four morning frames, 2011 runner-up Trump levelling the score at 2-2 when he compiled a break of 106.
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Despite home comforts – he owns a house in Sheffield – unlike the majority of players who stay in hotels or rent apartments, sleeping in his own bed has done nothing to inspire his snooker.
At that stage, the former world No. 1 Chinese superstar needed to win the last three frames to avoid having to return for the final session.
Marco Fu withstood one of the Crucible’s finest fightbacks to book his place in the semi-finals for the second time in his career. Leicester’s Selby started the final session in fluent form, knocking in breaks of 92 and 78 to move to within a frame of victory at 12-6. “(But) I’m still in the tournament and I’ve got a chance to improve”.
“I’ve never thought these sort of days were completely gone because I can play and I’m still pretty dedicated to the sport”.
However, in order to set up a quarter-final with Mark Williams he will need to become the first man since 2010 to triumph after being at least 10-6 down in a best-of-25 World Championship clash.
“When I feel well I don’t feel a lot of pressure”, Ding told the BBC afterwards.
Wilson said: “It was obviously a fantastic achievement the way Shaun blitzed everyone with his sensational potting, so he’s proved that it’s possible and I’d love to add myself to that list”.
Ding breezed through three qualifiying rounds – dropping just seven frames along the way – and beat top-16 player Martin Gould 10-8 at the first Crucible hurdle.
Hawkins will next face Marco Fu in the last eight while rising star Kyren Wilson will take on world number one Mark Selby after enhancing his credentials by completing a 13-9 win over Mark Allen.
“Everybody wants to win the world title, it would be flawless”. Only five players in snooker history have won more.
It was a battle to get back into that match but that first session cost me and it was too much of a mountain to climb after that. “At 12-6 down I am out of the match and it was a nice consolation prize so hopefully it will stand”.
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“I shouldn’t use that match against Ronnie as an excuse but it just seems to have happened every time I’ve won a big match here – the next session I have come out and been awful”.
