Neil Robertson produced the performance of the second round as he brilliantly finished off Mark Allen 13-7, but his 100th century still evades him. Allen played arguably the better snooker in the first two sessions but found himself trailing 9-7. Australian Robertson closed up to 99 centuries during those opening 16 frames, with runs of 100 and 137 but was unable to grasp the 100th during two opportunities in the final four frames, where he played almost faultless snooker to close out the match. In frame 19 he was on a break of 94 before rattling the black which would’ve seen him cross the line, and then in frame 20 he missed a tricky red down the cushion which saw him end the break of 92.
He faces Judd Trump in the quarter-finals after the Bristolian dispatched Ryan Day 13-7. Trump was 10-6 up heading into the final session and won three frames he needed to progress.
Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will be thanking his lucky stars after scraping through his last 16 tie with Joe Perry. Cambridgeshire potter Perry really took the game to O’Sullivan and may have felt a little aggrieved to be only 9-7 up after the second session. But the Rocket finally showed his class and won six frame out of seven, with top breaks of 82, 124 and 113 to seal his progress.
Next up for O’Sullivan is Shaun Murphy, who defeated Marco Fu 13-8 on Monday evening. Murphy was also 9-7 ahead going into the final session and knocked in runs of 69, 75 and 66 to secure the win.
Mark Selby remains in the hunt for his first world title, after beating Ali Carter 13-9. Carter didn’t do an awful lot wrong, his highlights being breaks of 102 and 110 as he trailed 9-7, but Selby won four out of six in their final session to make it through.
He plays Alan McManus next after the Scot prevailed in the battle of the tour veterans, as he overcame Ken Doherty 13-8 to secure his place in the quarter-finals here at the Crucible for the first time since 2005.
Barry Hawkins prevailed in a close match against Ricky Walden, a repeat of one of last year’s semi-finals and will take on Dominic Dale in the final eight after he beat Crucible debutant Michael Wasley 13-4.
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