Ebdon Stays On Course
Defending champion Peter Ebdon remained on course to defend his title with a five-frames-to-one win against Neil Robertson, despite a magnificent 147 maximum break from the Australian number one.
The Englishman took the opening frame with a break of 68 before the blonde left-hander made his perfect score.
The four-time ranking event winner lost his way for the next three frames as the 2009 champion took hold of the match.
A break of 52 early in the sixth suggested that a comeback may be on the cards but Ebdon held on to claim an impressive win and set up a mouth-watering tie with home-favourite, Ding Junhui.
Ding beat Mark Selby in the match of the tournament so far, with both players producing a pair of century breaks.
China’s number one opened with a 126 and took a 2-0 lead with a further 56 break.
The Masters champion levelled at the interval with runs of 101 and 116.
It was three centuries in as many frames when they returned with Ding firing a 101. He increased his lead to two frames in the next and although Selby reduced the deficit to just one frame, it was the UK champion who goes through to the quarter finals.
Mark Williams continued his return to the big time and ensured that John Higgins’ world title defence suffered a blow as the Welshman eased to a five-frames-to-two win.
Breaks of 73 and 81 helped the former world number one to a 2-0 lead and made a 108 to get through to the last eight where he will now face Hong Kong’s Marco Fu.
In the other evening match, seven time world champion whitewashed world number six, Ryan Day in a less that spectacular affair in which Day could manage a highest break of just 16.
