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Five-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan ended Chinese star Ding Junhui’s world snooker championship dream on Sunday at a Crucible Theatre venue he described as a “morgue” because of the ban on spectators. The mercurial 44-year-old Englishman gained an enthralling high-quality second-round encounter 13-10 to arrange a quarter-final conflict with three-time champion Mark Williams. O’Sullivan — who might be bidding for a primary semi-final look since shedding to Mark Selby within the 2014 closing — stated enjoying in entrance of an empty auditorium was an unrewarding expertise.
There have been meant to be 300 followers allowed in for every session however the pilot scheme was cancelled by the federal government on the primary day of the championships due to new issues over the coronavirus.
“It is better with the fans, of course it is,” O’Sullivan informed the BBC.
“It is like playing in a morgue out there. It feels like a village at the moment, the players are much more relaxed, for the top players it can be a nightmare.”
O’Sullivan admitted he wanted to drag himself collectively as he battled to focus correctly.
“I am just glad I found a way to try and compete with my mind out there,” he stated.
“For a while I have been going out and slapping the ball about having fun, not caring if I won or lost.
“Deep down I do care however deal with it like a little bit of enjoyable.”
‘Don’t really get on’
Earlier Australia’s 2010 world champion Neil Robertson set up an enticing quarter-final with three-time winner Selby after completing an impressive 13-9 victory over Barry Hawkins.
The 38-year-old made short work of Hawkins in their final session having begun it locked at 8-8.
He won five of the six frames to clinch a place in the quarter-finals for the eighth time.
Selby will be a formidable opponent but, with three titles this season, world number two Robertson will not be lacking in confidence as he seeks to reach his first world final since his stunning success a decade ago.
Selby won their only previous meeting in the championships, getting the better of ‘The Thunder from Down Under’ 17-15 in the 2014 semi-finals.
Robertson said he had few concerns about facing Selby as his “expectations are very excessive” for the tournament.
Robertson said the virus-prompted shift from the tournament’s usual April date meant playing conditions were very different.
“The desk is enjoying very heavy, it is vitally humid on the market and it doesn’t really feel like enjoying at Sheffield.
“It feels like playing in Asia and it is tough to screw the ball back.”
Kyren Wilson will play defending champion Judd Trump within the final eight after he beat fellow Englishman Martin Gould 13-9.
Their conflict seems to be certain to be a feisty affair with Trump saying final 12 months the pair “don’t speak” and “don’t really get on”.
The quarter-final line-up was accomplished when Anthony McGill booked his first look within the final eight since 2015 after a tense 13-12 win over fellow qualifier Jamie Clarke.
Promoted
The pair had been concerned in a livid trade on Saturday when McGill accused the Welshman of intentionally standing in his line of sight.
Scotland’s McGill prevailed through a snooker behind the brown after each gamers had missed good probabilities to seal the nervous final-frame decider and can play Norwegian Kurt Maflin for a spot within the semi-finals.
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