The way the season has gone so far, this is a legitimate question but Stephen Hendry believes he will and he explains why as reported here by Phil Haigh
Will Ronnie O’Sullivan play at the Masters? Stephen Hendry reveals all
by Phil Haigh
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been handed a very tough draw at the Masters (Picture: Getty Images)
Stephen Hendry says Ronnie O’Sullivan will be playing at the Masters next month, after the Rocket had cast doubt on his participation.
The 50-year-old has been drawn to play Neil Robertson in a blockbuster opening round at Alexandra Palace in January.
The draw came after there were mixed messages from O’Sullivan on the tournament, initially saying he was unlikely to play.
Speaking to talkSPORT in September, he said: ‘I probably won’t play the Masters this year.
‘I moved to Dubai, a lot of my work is in China and the Middle East so it made sense to be near. The jet lag was crucifying. It’s not that easy to just get on a plane and come back to the UK.
‘I think I’m just going to play the UK Championship, hopefully the Tour Championship if I’ve done enough, which I think I have because I did well in Saudi. Then the World Championship, it would be nice to win that one more time before I snap another cue.’
The Rocket played at the UK Championship last week but suffered a first round exit at the hands of Zhou Yuelong.
Asked after the defeat if he would play at Alexandra Palace, he told the BBC: ‘I’ll have a nice Christmas, enjoy that and see how I feel come January.’
Asked the same question in a press conference, he said: ‘Hopefully. I’d like to. We’ll see.’
It now seems that the Rocket will land in north London, with Hendry firm that we will see the O’Sullivan vs Robertson clash on January 14.
Asked on his Cue TipsYouTube channel if O’Sullivan will be playing at the Masters, Hendry said: ‘Well he is playing. He requested to play late, I think, so he’s playing Neil on Wednesday night.
‘So yeah, Ronnie is playing in the Masters. If he doesn’t play the tournament is lacking, isn’t it?’
In what has been a difficult campaign so far for O’Sullivan, he will face a huge test in Robertson in the opening round at Ally Pally.
The Thunder from Down Under beat the Rocket in the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters in August, which was the only event in which O’Sullivan has been beyond the quarter-finals this campaign.
O’Sullivan withdrew from the 2025 Masters after snapping his cue shortly before the event out of frustration with his game.
If he does play next month then it will be the first time playing in the tournament since he won it for an eighth time in 2024, beating Ali Carter in the final.
Stephen Hendry is closest to O’Sullivan’s record Masters tally, with six wins, while no other player has won the event more than three times.
Hopefully, Stephen will be proved right, and, hopefully, Ronnie will be able to play well.
Shaun Murphy will face Wu Yize when he begins the defence of his Johnstone’s Paint Masters title at Alexandra Palace in London in January.
…
The draw has been made, pitching the top eight seeds at random against those seeded nine to 16:
Shaun Murphy (1) v Wu Yize Mark Selby v Xiao Guodong
Neil Robertson (5) v Ronnie O’Sullivan Kyren Wilson (4) v Si Jiahui
Judd Trump (3) v Ding Junhui Mark Williams (6) v Mark Allen
John Higgins (7) v Barry Hawkins Zhao Xintong (2) v Gary Wilson
The round one schedule is as follows:
Sunday January 11th
1pm – Shaun Murphy vs Wu Yize
7pm – Mark Selby vs Xiao Guodong
Monday January 12th
1pm – Mark Williams vs Mark Allen
7pm – Zhao Xintong vs Gary Wilson
Tuesday January 13th
1pm – Kyren Wilson vs Si Jiahui
7pm – John Higgins vs Barry Hawkins
Wednesday January 14th
1pm – Judd Trump vs Ding Junhui
7pm – Neil Robertson vs Ronnie O’Sullivan
That is, of course, provided Ronnie doesn’t withdraw. It’s a big event, it’s just one table … but he’s not a big fan of Alexandra Palace as attested by his hash criticism last year:
“Everywhere is dirty. It’s cold. It’s freezing, I have to wear my coat everywhere. You go through car parks. There are bins. Honestly, it just makes me feel ill.
“I‘m a bit of a clean freak and when I come in here it gives me the heebie-jeebies. I just can’t wait to get out of here.”
I have been there for several years in a row. I wouldn’t say it’s dirty, but it is indeed very hard to heat the place properly. The glass dome roof is beautiful but it doesn’t help the situation when it’s freezing cold outside. When it’s raining or snowing outside, the fans come in with wet coats, that they usually keep on, and the humidity level rises which only makes things worse. Cold and dampness is not a great combination.
Note that I have “corrected” the text shared by WST. In the draw as they published it, there was no Mark Selby and Ronnie was playing twice. 🙄.
And, of course, wether Ronnie will show up remains to be seen… he has a very difficult first match against Neil Robertson. Should he withdraw, he would likely be replaced by Chris Wakelin, currently ranked 17th, with a decent “cushion” of points ahead of Jak Jones, 18th.
Mark Selby held off a fightback from defending champion Judd Trump to triumph in a nerve-shredding final 10-8 and win the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship for a third time.
Victory sees Selby reach the quarter-century mark in ranking silverware, with this being his 25th title.
The Jester from Leicester also captured UK crowns in 2012 and 2016, when he won respective finals against Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Selby has ended a nine year wait to conquer York again and the signs were there in the lead up to the event. He won last month’s invitational Champion of Champions, where he defeated Trump 10-5 in the title match.
42-year-old Selby moves to ten Triple Crown titles in all, edging ahead of John Higgins (9) in the all-time list. Only Steve Davis (15), Stephen Hendry (18) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (23) have won more than Selby.
Defeat for world number one Trump means he ends 2025 without having added to his trophy collection. It is the first time the Bristolian has failed to win an event in a calendar year since 2013.
Selby claims the £250,000 winner’s cheque and as a result rises from 11th position to sixth in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. Trump remains unmoved at the summit.
They came into tonight with Selby holding a commanding 6-2 lead. The opening frame went the way of the four-time World Champion, who crafted a run of 59 to extend his advantage to 7-2.
Trump seized the initiative in the next with a break of 63, but spurned a black off the spot. Selby couldn’t punish him and a safety battle ensued. Trump eventually trapped his opponent and won the exchange to make it 7-3.
A fragmented 11th saw both players miss balls unexpectedly, but after 38 minutes of play, it was 2019 Crucible king Trump who prevailed to go three behind at 7-4. The Juddernaut rode the wave of momentum into the interval, hammering in a century run of 105 to trail 7-5.
When play resumed, Selby produced a 91 break to move two away from the finishing line. However, the Ace in the Pack refused to fold and made a sublime 125 to pull within two at 8-6.
A nervy 15th saw Selby miss two routine blacks off the spot, allowing Trump to reduce his arrears further and crank up the heat, making it 8-7.
Despite the huge tension, Selby summoned the steel to make 77 and move to the verge of victory and lead 9-7.
The balls appeared to be at Selby’s mercy in the 17th, but a missed red to the top left allowed Trump back to the table and he clawed back to 9-8. In typical Selby fashion, he recomposed himself and made 69 to cap off a landmark win.
“I missed a dolly red when I was in win 10-7 and I was sitting in my chair thinking that if I lose 10-9 that will haunt me forever. It would have been worse than the Willie Thorne blue! To make the break in the last, it is probably one of the best breaks of my career. Under those circumstances, to hold myself together,” said an elated and relieved Selby.
“To win any tournament nowadays is so difficult. I put so much emphasis on these Triple Crown events. I always try that little bit harder and the pressure is greater. These are the events I judge my CV on. It is nice to get to double figures.
“It is incredible to go above John Higgins in Triple Crown wins. I’ve looked up to him for years. When I was a young lad, he was at the top of his game and he is still top of his game now. To know I’m in front of him by one is incredible. He is still capable of winning Triple Crown events himself and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did it this season. I get on with him really well, so I can have a bit of banter about that.”
Trump said: “I had a lot of chances this evening. It is my own fault and I missed too many easy balls. It isn’t easy to get over the line in these big events and I was in a similar situation last year. I hoped that I would find my best but it didn’t happen.
“Mark was much the better player and I was just trying to hang in. There was the odd frame when I was coming back and I was starting to pot a few. I will be trying to find that at the start of the game in the Masters. I will work hard between now and the Masters.”
Congratulations Mark Selby!
Finals can sometimes being a bit disappointing as tension mounts and both players feel the pressure, but this was a quality match where both players scored heavily: between them them compiled 17 breaks over 50.
Only two frames failed to “provide” a 50+ break. Considering the pressure they were under because this was the final of a “Triple Crown” event, the feat is truly remarkable.
Judd Trump and Mark Selby will face each other at the Barbican today and one of them will lift the trophy tonight. Here is how we got there as reported by WST.
World number one and defending champion Judd Trump prevailed 6-3 in a fiercely contested battle with Australia’s Neil Robertson to make his fifth Victorian Plumbing UK Championship final in York.
The Ace in the Pack was crowned UK Champion for a second time 12 months ago, after defeating Barry Hawkins 10-8 in the title match.
Trump won his maiden Triple Crown triumph here in York back in 2011, beating Mark Allen in the final. However, he has fallen short in the 2014 final to Ronnie O’Sullivan and the 2020 showpiece against Robertson. Both were deciding frame 10-9 losses.
Victory in tomorrow’s final would see Trump join an elite group of players who have defended the UK title. Only Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Ronnie O’Sullivan have achieved that feat.
Trump will face either Shaun Murphy or Mark Selby in tomorrow’s title match. The encounter will take place over the best of 19 frames and the winner will pocked £250,000. Englishman Trump is seeking his first crown of 2025, failure will be the first time he hasn’t registered silverware in a calendar year since 2013.
Robertson misses out on a fourth UK Championship title. However, he can look ahead to his last event of the year at the Scottish Open happy with what he’s achieved this season. The £500,000 pay cheque at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters was the biggest of his career so far.
Breaks of 65 and 82 helped Trump into a 2-1 lead early on, but Robertson headed into the interval the happiest after a stunning 114 restored parity at 2-2.
Play resumed with a marathon 47-minute fifth. After some fragmented tactical exchanges, it was Robertson who eventually stole to lead for the first time at 3-2.
It proved to also be the last time the Melbourne cueman led, with Trump bouncing back quickly from that setback after the interval. Breaks of 72, 53, 68 and 53 helped him to four on the bounce and a 6-3 triumph.
Trump said: “I still felt positive despite losing the fifth frame. A lot of the time this season I’d have put my head down a little bit. I was able to get in early next frame, rattle off a quick frame and I was back in and amongst it.
“It is great to be back in the final again. I feel like these last few weeks and months have been a lot more consistent. I’ve been in a few finals recently but it is never nice to be on the losing end. I need to use that as motivation and determination to come out on the right side.
“I feel good about my game. Everyone picked Mark Selby from the start. I feel like the pressure is on him and he has a tough game against Shaun Murphy first. It has been a brilliant semi-final lineup.”
Mark Selby defeated close friend and on table adversary Shaun Murphy 6-3 to make the final of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
This evening marked the 35th meeting between the pair in their illustrious careers. Victory for Selby moves him 20-15 up in the head-to-head standings.
He now progresses to face world number one Judd Trump in a blockbuster best of 19 final tomorrow. The winner will pocket £250,000 and Selby will head into the meeting with high confidence after beating Trump in the recent Champion of Champions final.
Defeat for Murphy means he will have to wait for a first UK title since his maiden win in the event back in 2008. However, it is another strong week for the Magician, who won the British Open earlier in the campaign.
24-time ranking event winner Selby is through to his first UK final since 2016, when he defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7 in an epic title match. He’s a two-time winner having also won the event back in 2012, when he defeated Murphy in the final.
The match this evening kicked off with a scintillating standard. Selby took the opener with a 74 break, but Murphy hit back immediately with 131 to restore parity.
Breaks of 73 and 104 then helped 42-year-old Selby move into a hefty 4-1 lead. Murphy claimed the next two and forced his way back into contention at 4-3. However, Selby summoned runs of 72, 55 and 127 over the next two frames to force his way over the line. He missed just 12 balls in the entire match.
Selby said: “I felt good from start to finish. I was a little bit edgy at the start but that is understandable. It was a massive game for us both to try and get into a Triple Crown final. At the interval I felt relaxed and thought I was playing decent stuff. Shaun hits the ball as well as anyone I’ve ever played. I knew I needed to play well to win the game.
“It would mean a lot to win. It has been nine years since I’ve been to the UK final. I haven’t done well in the Masters for the last few years either. It would be nice to try and tick it off and get to ten Triple Crown wins.
“I enjoy playing Judd. He is great to watch and very similar to Ronnie. He is exciting to play against and has a lot of support as well. It will be a great occasion tomorrow and I can’t wait to get started.”
Again, I haven’t much to add: those reports are comprehensive enough.
Neil will be disappointed: he lead 3-2 and scored the only century of the match, a 114. That said Judd was very reliable once in the balls. He made a break over 50 in every frame he won. Basically, nearly each time he got in he scored enough to finish the frame, which is truly remarkable.
Shaun also scored the highest break of his match against Mark Selby, a 131. He lost a couple of really close frames before the MSI which is never easy to take. That said, Mark Selby scored really well in that match, he had five breaks over 72, including two centuries. He won most frames he took in one visit, not necessarily the first visit, but one big scoring visit.
Judd Trump and Neil Robertson scored respective quarter-final triumphs to set up a blockbuster meeting in the last four of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
World number one Trump rallied from an early deficit to defeat Chinese icon Ding Junhui 6-2 and secure his passage.
The Ace in the Pack is the defending champion this week, having picked up a second UK crown 12 months ago with a 10-8 defeat of Barry Hawkins in the title match.
However, it’s not been smooth sailing for Trump since then, as he hasn’t added to his trophy collection. If the 36-year-old doesn’t win the title on Sunday it will make 2025 his first trophyless calendar year since 2013.
It was three-time UK Champion Ding who got off to an imposing start today. He hammered home breaks of 89 and 83 to move into the ascendancy at 2-0.
That momentum was to be short lived, as 30-time ranking event winner Trump took a stranglehold on proceedings. The Englishman crafted runs of 73, 91 and 50 on his way to six consecutive frames and a 6-2 triumph.
The win sets up Trump’s meeting with Robertson, who he memorably met in a nerve shredding 2020 final, which was behind closed doors in Milton Keynes due to the pandemic. The match came down to the final pink, with Robertson inflicting a heart breaking 10-9 defeat on Trump. He avenged that loss in the opening round last year.
“It was a tough game. He started off really well. He’s got good memories from this event. He’s won it three times,” said two-time UK Champion Trump. “The game changed after I got on the board and he started missing a few.
“This is a great tournament. It is one of the best on the calendar. The crowds are fantastic and it is a really nice venue to play in. Myself and Neil have some good memories in the event and it is going to be a good game.
“That final with Neil was a long game. I was relieved it was over in the end. It was different now . We are back here in York with a full crowd and it is going to be great.”
On the other table, 2013, 2015 and 2020 UK Champion Neil Robertson saw off a spirited fightback from China’s Pang Junxu to prevail 6-4.
Robertson was in total control at 5-1 and had left Pang needing three snookers. However, he calamitously hit the black attempting an escape and left a free ball in the process. Pang cleared with 51 to steal on the black.
Further runs of 115 and 46 helped Pang to crank up the heat further and make it 5-4. However, a break of 75 saw Robertson stop the rot and get over the line at 6-4.
Robertson said: “I was brilliant up to 5-1 and it is just one of those crazy things. He did a good clearance under pressure and he made another century. I made a good match winning break at the end. He put a lot of pressure on me and I responded well.
“The world was going through a tough time in the 2020 final. We were just grateful to play. It was so intense because there wasn’t a crowd. There was an eerie silence and someone just pressing a button for the applause. When I potted the winning pink Judd just nodded a me and said well done. It was a crazy time. We are two of the cleanest potters in the world. I think that has shown in the tournament so far.”
Mark Selby overcame close friend Barry Hawkins 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship and set up a showdown with Shaun Murphy.
Victory sends the Jester from Leicester through to the UK semi-finals for the first time since he last won the title here in York back in 2016. Selby’s progression comes at the expense of last year’s runner-up Hawkins, who he shared a flat with at the event 12 months ago.
Tomorrow night’s clash with Murphy will see Selby take on a player who he has been battling against since the junior ranks. The pair have shared almost every significant stage in the sport, including the 2021 world final and the 2012 UK final, both won by Selby.
Selby made breaks of 64 and 115 in the opening four frames this evening and found himself 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval.
Play got back underway with a marathon 48-minute fifth frame which crucially went the way of Selby on the pink, before he also claimed the sixth to go one from the finish line at 5-1.
Hawkins pulled a frame back with a superb 138, but Selby fired in 83 in the eighth to book his last four slot.
42-year-old Selby said: “I’m delighted to win but it is never nice to play Barry. He is my best mate on the tour. I spend a lot of time with him at tournaments, even this morning we had a cup of tea at the cafe with him and his wife. I have so much respect for him. He’s a great lad.
“Shaun and I more or less grew up together. I remember playing him in the junior comps and it is great we have both come through the ranks together and achieved what we have. Here we are battling it out in a Triple Crown semi-final. It is good.
“I’m going to enjoy it tomorrow. Hopefully I can play well. If I do I’ll have a chance, but these Triple Crown events only come around once a year. To still be involved in the back end of the tournament is always pleasing.
Murphy earned his progression with a 6-3 win over Zhang Anda, who yesterday conquered World Champion Zhao Xintong.
The Magician himself has also endured a semi-final hiatus in York, having not appeared in the last four since being runner-up in 2017. Wins over Lyu Haotian, John Higgins and now Zhang have seen him put that right this week.
43-year-old Murphy is gunning for a first UK Championship crown since his maiden win in 2008, when he beat Marco Fu in the final.
He made breaks of 88, 73 and 73 in this evening’s win over Zhang, but knows he will have to up his game to progress to the final.
Murphy said: “I’m delighted to win and that was about it. We both played under par. I made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes on and off the table. I dropped the rest and it nearly clattered into the balls and I miscued, I can’t remember the last time I did that. There were a number of totally basic misses, but that shows we are all human. It was a bad day at the office, but I got the win and I have a chance to put it right tomorrow.
“Mark and I have been beating each other since we were nine years of age. We have become good mates away from the table, but we have had a number of good matches. He has inflicted some pain on me and I’ve managed to get him back in a number of big games as well.”
We have two fantastic semi-finals matches to enjoy today. The line-up is of outstanding quality: all four players remaining in the draw have been World Champions. It isn’t easy to predict the outcome of such high quality matches, but if I must make a prediction, I’ll say that we will have a Judd Trump v Mark Selby final which would be fantastic, but really any other combination would yield a very high quality final as well.
The Ding v Trump match followed an only too familiar scenario. Ding started brilliantly but as soon as he lost a frame he appeared to fade away a bit. I’m not trying to diminish Judd’s merit here, it’s just that I have seen that “fading Ding” scenario so many times against a lot of different opponents. It’s a great shame because Ding is a fantastic player. I have said this before, but I’ll say it again, Ding needs to meet the Chinese “Steve Peters” if such a man exists. The kind of work Peters did with Ronnie can only work if both the therapist and the person seeking help can express themselves with precision, express their feelings with the correct nuances, and that can only be done if they both use their native language. On the other table, Pang showed great fighting spirit, it was in vain eventually but it was great to watch.
I won’t make any firm prediction about the Trump v Robertson match, but I would be surprised if Murphy beats Selby. IMO Mark’s game is more complete, more versatile than Shaun’s and Mark’s patience is infinite when needed.
A stunning long red helped Ding Junhui to take a pulsating deciding frame and beat Scotland’s Scott Donaldson 6-5 to reach the quarter-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
The pair were given a standing ovation after a sublime break of 109 from Ding got him over the line. Donaldson had the first opportunity but failed to get on an easy red after going into the pack. He played a good safety, but Ding picked out a red and composed his match winning century.
Afterwards the two players embraced at the end of an emotional run for Donaldson. The Perth cueman sadly lost his father Hector last month. He said he was inspired by him in a 6-5 win from 5-0 down against Stuart Bingham in the last round of qualifying. Donaldson then scored a tremendous 6-1 win over Mark Allen in the opening round.
China’s Ding had found himself 5-3 ahead and looked set for a more routine win, but the determined Donaldson refused to give up. Breaks of 81 and 72 forced the decider, where he just fell short.
The UK Championship has proved to be a prolific hunting ground for Ding over the years. The most recent of his three titles in the event came back in 2019 when he beat Stephen Maguire in the final. Ding was also runner-up in 2022 to Mark Allen and 2023 to Ronnie O’Sullivan.
The legendary 15-time ranking event winner now turns his attention to world number one Judd Trump, who he faces in a blockbuster quarter-final on Friday.
“He is talented and a good player. I want him to move on because what he showed in the last three frames is top class,” said 38-year-old Ding.
“I feel good about my game. I need to work on my psychology when playing. I was thinking about that a lot before the match. I need to keep thinking simple thoughts to make things happen.”
Donaldson said: “The fight was good. That is what these top guys do. When the pressure comes on and I mean really on, that is what they do. It is unbelievable. I should have gone for a red at the end. It was really risky, but you need to take these crazy risks to beat these guys. Hindsight maybe. It was a tough game, but I am proud of how I fought.”
On the other table, Zhang Anda overcame World Champion and practice partner Zhao Xintong 6-2 to make the quarter-finals for the third consecutive season.
York has proved to be a productive venue for former International Champion Zhang, who made a 147 here last year. He now progresses to face either John Higgins or Shaun Murphy in the last eight.
A break building blitz saw Zhang overpower the Crucible king today. Runs of 127, 129, 87, 69 and 73 helped him over the line this afternoon.
Zhang said: “I hope I can go even further this time. In the Triple Crown events, the broadcasting, the audience and the whole tournament team are on a different level. Everything feels more professional. The atmosphere in these venues is truly incredible.
“For the quarter-finals, I really hope to play John Higgins. He has been my idol since I was a child. In my whole career for 15 years, I’ve only played him once. I don’t know when he will retire, so I really hope I can face him a few more times while we’re still on tour together.”
Shaun Murphy rallied from 4-1 down to beat John Higgins 6-5 in a thrilling encounter at the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship to make the quarter-finals.
Having trailed for much of this encounter against 33-time ranking event winner Higgins, Masters champion Murphy describes the win as one of the best of his life.
Victory pushes the Magician within three wins of recapturing the trophy he last won in 2008 and adding a second UK crown to his resume.
Three-time UK Champion Higgins continues his recent difficulties in York, having looked set for a place in the last eight. He’s failed to reach the UK Championship quarter-finals since 2019.
The match nearly got off to the perfect start with Murphy depositing 11 reds and ten blacks, but the Magician spurned the 11th black to end his hopes of a maximum and finish his run on 81.
Higgins then took charge, with breaks of 70, 70 and 78 giving him three on the bounce for a 3-1 lead at the mid-session.
When play resumed, Higgins extended his advantage to 4-1, before Murphy replied by taking the sixth and seventh frames to remain in touch at 4-3.
A break of 74 then took Higgins a frame from victory, but in keeping with the rest of the match Murphy refused to wilt. Runs of 89 and 53 from the 2005 Crucible king forced a deciding frame at 5-5.
A tense final frame was battled out in tactical territory, with the balls finding tricky positions. It was Murphy who dominated much of it, before Higgins had his chance on the yellow. He spurned a tricky opportunity to the green pocket. Murphy pounced, cracking in a long yellow and clearing to claim victory. He now faces China’s Zhang Anda in the last eight.
“It is one of the best wins of my career. I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that. I’ve been lucky to have a great career and many memorable wins. But when you play one of the legends you have to throw everything at them,” said 43-year-old Murphy.
“I was literally stood behind certain shots thinking, what would John do? We talk about him being the best tactical player of all time, alongside Mark Selby. My way is ok, but it has lost me some games as well. It is probably about time I started something else. I have put so much work into it, I thought rather than playing the clever shot on the way home, try and think of it now.
“I hadn’t really thought that I hadn’t won this event since 2008 until Rob Walker introduced us out tonight. He made a point of saying it. I see my UK Championship trophy every day in my snooker room. It is an honour to have it. They can’t take your name off it, but it would be nice to have it on it again. The win at the Masters earlier this year reminded me I can still do it on the biggest stage.”
On the other table, Barry Hawkins put on a sensational performance to thrash qualifier Elliot Slessor 6-0 and set up a last eight clash with close friend Mark Selby.
The Hawk soared to the UK final 12 months ago, beating the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Murphy en route to the title match. He was denied a maiden Triple Crown triumph after a 10-8 defeat against Judd Trump in the final.
Today’s victory has rekindled the sort of form which took him to the precipice of glory last year. The 46-year-old enjoyed a 96 percent pot success rate in a whitewash blitz. Breaks of 94, 87 and 73 helped him to victory. Afterwards he admitted tougher tests lie ahead.
Hawkins said: “It’s a nice easy one next! It is going to be great, we are great friends, but he will be trying to rip my head off. It will be a really tough game and he looks like he is back to his best. I will need the same performance as tonight, if not better.”
Life came in the way of snooker yesterday, especially in the evening, in the form of torrential rains causing power-cuts and flooding. The latter were “enhanced” by the fact that it wasn’t just water running down the streets and filtering under the doors, it was mud, yellow and thick. What’s not to like, eh? I saw next to nothing from the evening action.
I was able to watch most of the Ding v Donaldson match despite some disturbances, but, unfortunately, I missed the end of the match. From what I saw, both players deserve a lot of credit for their performances. Reading Scott’s quotes I’m confident that he will learn from this defeat and will further improve. He’s a lovely person and a hard worker. If anything, he’s too humble.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 