MARK SELBY SAW off Gary Wilson 13-7 to reach the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship and keep alive hopes of a fifth title.
Selby, who last lifted the trophy at the Crucible in 2021, resumed with a 10-6 advantage which was soon extended following a confident 109 clearance in the opening frame of Monday’s concluding evening session.
Two half-century breaks helped Wilson reduce the deficit to 11-7, before Selby, who sank a superb thinly-cut black with the extension, edged the next 73-45 after both men had spurned chances to put the frame to bed.
There were more nerves in the 20th frame, with Wilson unable to capitalise on a poor break from Selby, who then failed to build on a run of 35.
Selby took four attempts to get out of a snooker behind the brown before going in off the blue when again well set.
Wilson, though, missed a long red and then a poor safety gifted a match-winning opening to Selby, who this time made no mistake to wrap up victory.
Selby goes on to face fellow four-time champion John Higgins, who completed an impressive win over Kyren Wilson with a session to spare on Sunday evening.
Earlier, Si Jiahui had picked up where he left off to secure a spot in the quarter-finals with a 13-7 victory against Robert Milkins.
The world number 80 is the lowest ranked player left in the tournament and continued his fantastic debut at the Crucible despite a rocky start on Monday afternoon.
The 20-year-old started the final session 11-5 ahead needing just two frames to seal a spot in the last eight, but both players felt the pressure in the opening frame with Milkins missing plenty of chances to score.
Si sunk the final red and cleared up the remaining colours to go within one frame of victory, but a great start to the second was soured after he missed the match ball, allowing Milkins to steal the frame with a clearance of 69.
The Welsh Open champion gathered momentum as he took the third frame, but Si denied any chance of an incredible comeback after a dominant display in the fourth saw him finish with a stunning century break to reach the quarter-finals.
“Since the qualifiers, I have felt peaceful and calm emotionally,” Si said on the World Snooker Tour website. “I treat it as if it is a minor event, like a daily practice, and I try to enjoy the Crucible.”
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