Former double champion Ronnie O’Sullivan survived a second round scare before blasting Welshman Ryan Day out of the world championship with a late fightback on Monday.
”Rocket Ronnie”, who on Sunday scored the highest break of this year’s competition by knocking in a 140 total clearance in frame six, was forced to briefly sweat against the Welshman who built on his 4-4 overnight draw.
Day raced to a 9-7 lead earlier on Monday, but O’Sullivan allowed the Welsh qualifier just one more frame on his way to an impressive fightback and a 13-10 victory which secured his place in the last eight.
O’Sullivan goes on to face Mark Williams.
Graeme Dott booked his quarterfinal spot with a 13-9 win over Nigel Bond, who had eliminated Dott’s fellow Scot Stephen Hendry in the previous round.
Two-time runner-up Dott had no such trouble with Bond, whom he dominated throughout before keeping alive his hopes of reaching another World Championship final.
The 14th seed, the only Scottish player left in the competition, will now meet Australia’s Neil Robertson for a semifinal place.
”I may not look it, but I’m happy,” said the Glaswegian.
”I knew it wouldn’t be a pretty match because we have similar styles based on tactics rather than potting. But my game is in good shape and I responded well under pressure.”
Ken Doherty displayed his final credentials with some clinical snooker in his match against Welshman Matthew Stevens, who could only watch as the Irish veteran reeled off five consecutive frames to secure a 13-8 victory.
Scores of 4-4 and 8-8 in the first two sessions kept the match tight before Doherty came out fired up to end Stevens’ hopes in a one-way third session to book his last eight clash against Hong Kong’s Marco Fu.
In the final second round match it was an all-English affair, but it was one-way traffic.
Peter Ebdon started with a winning 107 break in frame one and went on to allow David Gray just two frames in a convincing 13-2 win.
Ebdon, the world champion in 2002, will meet defending champion Shaun Murphy in the last eight. – Sapa-AFP