Judd Trump was another high profile casualty on Monday with the former finalist failing to claw back an overnight deficit against Ding Junhui, eventually falling to a 13-10 defeat.
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The Chinese player won 13-3 with a session to spare against the two-time champion, keeping himself on course to become the first qualifier to win the tournament since Shaun Murphy in 2005. “I’m just going to enjoy it and if I keep playing like I am I’ll be tough to beat”.
Elsewhere World Snooker confirmed it will bring forward a scheduled replacement of cloth and cushions at the Crucible following complaints by players.
“Mark didn’t have much luck, some bad kicks, so I got some easy shots and made breaks”. I’ve got to be on it tomorrow and forgot about what’s gone on.
Higgins defeated Ricky Walden 13-8 to book his place in the last-eight against Alan McManus, and the four-time Champion is now favourite to win the tournament for the fifth time.
Ding admitted he is feeling more “relaxed” than on previous visits to the Crucible having come through the three-round qualifying competition at nearby Ponds Forge after slipping out of the world’s top 16.
Selby said: “I never take anything for granted and I seem to make every match hard work for myself”.
O’Sullivan, who was reprimanded by snooker chiefs for failing to attend a press conference earlier in the tournament, added: “I find it hard being a figurehead of the sport with all the attention on me and such a high expectation on me, including from myself, and sometimes I don’t handle that well. It doesn’t feel a lot of pressure this time”.
“If Marco gets going, he can score as well as anybody”.
Marco Fu is half-way to the World Championship semi-finals after taking the opening session of his quarter-final against Barry Hawkins 7-1.
A 66 and a 50 clearance clinched frame seven for Fu and he added the last of the session for a comprehensive lead.
The enigmatic 40-year-old went on to raise early hopes of a maximum in frame three, but after firing 25 and splitting the reds beautifully, he missed a black off the spot.
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But breaks of 51 and 71 secured a superb 13-9 victory for Wilson, the world number 19, who will now go through to face world number one Mark Selby in the quarter-finals.
