Ronnie O'Sullivan recovered from a series of late lapses to beat Shaun Murphy 13-10 and reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship, where he will face John Higgins in a battle of four-time title hopefuls. Leading 12-8, O'Sullivan missed three straightforward chances to close out the match, including a simple ball at 12-8 that allowed Murphy to steal the frame on the black. Murphy then took the next frame on the pink, but O'Sullivan held his nerve to seal victory with a 71 clearance.
O'Sullivan's heavy scoring was offset by uncharacteristic errors, but he credited his work with psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters for keeping him composed. "If I'd played like that a month ago, I'd have thrown in the towel," he said. "But I managed to keep my emotions in check and keep fighting."
Ding Junhui staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Stuart Bingham 13-12, recovering from 12-9 down with breaks of 92 and 114 before winning the decider with a crucial snooker. Ding will face Mark Selby in the quarter-finals.
Stephen Hendry's farewell to the Crucible may be postponed after his 13-4 defeat by Selby, which he described as a result reminiscent of his own prime. The 42-year-old Scot reiterated he would decide in the summer whether to retire but, with Bingham's defeat ensuring he remains in the top 16, he hinted he might continue. "I've still got the game but I haven't got the self-belief," he said. "I love playing at The Crucible but I hate not being competitive."
