ALI CARTER OVERCAME giant-killer Mark Joyce 6-2 on Tuesday to become the first man to qualify for the UK Championship quarter-finals.
Joyce, the world number 50, had pulled off a huge upset in York on Sunday when he came from 5-2 down to beat title favourite Judd Trump.
Carter, a two-time World Championship finalist, was 4-0 ahead at the interval after breaks of 46, 58 and 73, and held off a brief rally from his opponent to take his place in the last eight.
“It was a dream start for me but we saw what happened with Mark and Judd in the first round,” said Carter.
“I wasn’t going to let that happen to me today. I didn’t play great but I’m in the quarter-finals and maybe there’s a bit left in there.”
Carter will face either Stuart Bingham or Stephen Maguire for a place in the semi-finals.
He was joined in the last eight by Welshman Matthew Stevens, who overcame Hong Kong’s Marco Fu 6-4 in a sapping encounter.
“It wasn’t the best match in the world. I’ll have to play a lot better than that if I’m to go any further,” said Stevens, the UK champion in 2003.
“It’s hard to enjoy a match when you’re making breaks of eight and playing safe all the time. But the last two frames from 4-4 were good.
“I’m in it so I can still win it.”
