SHEFFIELD: Judd Trump will play China’s Ding Junhui in the quarter-finals of the World Championship after defeating Hong Kong’s Marco Fu, the other remaining hope of a first Asian world champion at this year’s tournaament, on Monday.

Trump, sealed his place in the last eight in style, rattling in a break of 133 to complete a 13-8 victory over Fu at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

Fu, down 10-6 overnight, kept the best of 25-frame contest going with a break of 94 in Monday’s opener but Trump, runner-up in the 2011 world final to John Higgins, took the next two to move within a frame of victory.

The experienced Fu kept the contest going beyond the mid-session interval before Trump ended the match in grand manner.

“It was solid,” Trump told the BBC when asked about his performance. “There was nothing too extreme — a few dodgy sessions in the middle of the match where I could have probably closed it out, but other than that I think I was quite solid from start to finish.

“Marco changed his gameplan and went for everything towards the end, so that made it quite difficult, but I am pleased how I closed out the match.”

As for his chances of winning the title, the 25-year-old Englishman added: “I am very confident in my game this time. I know if I keep it up I have got a good chance but it only takes one bad session at this level. You have got to be consistent every single day.”

Meanwhile world number eight Shaun Murphy, the 2005 Crucible champion, defeated Joe Perry 13-5 to come out on top in an all-English contest.

Murphy will now play Scottish surprise package Anthony McGill, who caused the upset of the tournament so far in knocking out defending champion Mark Selby, in the quarter finals.

Perry, faced with a mountain to climb at 12-4 down overnight, won Monday’s first frame only for Murphy to seal victory by winning an error-strewn 18th frame.

“It is just nice to get through and still be punching. You’ve got to treat the game with respect and hope you get the opportunity to get over the line,” Murphy said.

In the two remaining second round matches to be played to a finish later Monday, Australia’s Neil Robertson, the 2010 world champion, leads England’s Ali Carter 11-5 while five-times Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan is one frame away from victory at 12-4 up against Wales’ Matthew Stevens.

Results:

Second round (best of 25 frames): Judd Trump (ENG) bt Marco Fu (HKG) 13-8; Shaun Murphy (ENG) bt Joe Perry (ENG) 13-5

Previous second rd results: Ding Junhui (CHN) bt John Higgins (SCO) 13-9; Stuart Bingham (ENG) bt Graeme Dott (SCO) 13-5; Barry Hawkins (ENG) bt Mark Allen (NIR) 13-11; Anthony McGill (SCO) bt Mark Selby (ENG) 13-9.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2015

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